By Emma Castleberry
Read 2 Succeed’s (R2S’s) 4th Annual Holiday Community Extravaganza returns to the Arthur R. Edington Center on Sunday, December 14, from 12–4 p.m., offering families a free, festive afternoon centered on books, music, creativity and community connection. The event includes games, crafts, a bustling BIPOC holiday market, lunch and treats, and free books for children to take home. Two special literacy guests—children’s book authors Kelle Jolly and JP Miller—will highlight the event’s mission by sharing stories and songs.
Author Derrick Barnes, right, at 2023 Read2Succeed Holiday Extravaganza
Jolly, an Affrilachian artist, musician and author of Lady Fay Ukulele, will perform folk, holiday and original songs, and she’ll have instruments for others to play. She’ll also read Lady Fay Ukulele, and she’s sewing a new costume for the event. “I hope that adults and young people feel inspired to share their own stories and songs,” she says. “My book teaches readers that stories live everywhere, not only in the library. Everyone has a story and a song inside of them to share.”
For Jolly, supporting R2S is an extension of her own early experiences with literacy. “Whenever I went to my parents with a question, they always responded by showing me that the answer could be found in a book,” she says. “Being able to read and comprehend information gave me confidence. I share R2S’s mission to empower young readers so that they can be successful in the life they pursue.”
Author JP Miller, known for her Leaders Like Us series, will share the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe during a read-aloud. “When I first began writing for children it was because I wanted them to know more about the African American culture than what was generally presented in February during Black History Month,” she says. “I am totally committed to ensuring my culture isn’t canceled. Therefore, I am passionate about finding and writing stories about little- and well-known people and events in the African American Community and African Diaspora.”
Growing up in Asheville’s Shiloh community, Miller rarely saw books featuring characters or neighborhoods that looked like her own. “I have made it my mission to ensure that black and brown children see themselves in literature, as well as the contributions that have been made by the ancestors that have helped make America the great nation it is,” she says. “Literacy, or lack thereof, has been a systemic form of racism since colonization, with brown and black communities suffering most. I have witnessed illiteracy with my own eyes, in my own family and community. Undoubtedly, it will take many years to undo what racism/segregation has done. But with R2S Asheville/Buncombe, I see a wonderful group of dedicated staff committed to the process.”
Arthur R. Edington Center is located at 133 Livingston Street, Asheville. Learn more at R2SAsheville.org.
