About the Film
The Right to Read shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read.
Run Time: 71 Minutes
Available with Closed Captions and Spanish Subtitles
“Illiteracy is one of the most solvable problems of our time. We made this film to show the importance of early literacy and how crucial it is for children's lifelong success.
Reading is at the core of our democracy. Our future depends on ensuring all students are equipped with the skills to build an equitable society for us all.”
Jenny Mackenzie - Director
Film Participants
Kareem Weaver
As a veteran teacher and NAACP activist, Kareem is fighting for a world where every child can read. Kareem demands to bring science-based reading instruction to Oakland public schools and succeeds in building a coalition of parents, teachers, and community members to persuade the school board to implement a curriculum that works.
Sabrina Causey
As a rookie first-grade teacher, Sabrina Causey was equipped with a reading curriculum that didn’t work for her students. She took a risk to introduce the science of reading in her classroom and saw incredible results. Her students saw the most improvement in their reading despite transitioning to remote instruction during the Pandemic.
The Adams-Staples Family
4-year-old, Fred Jr. is a strong reader, but the transition to remote learning during the Pandemic has been a difficult adjustment. Even while juggling multiple jobs with demanding schedules, his parents—Melinda and Fred Sr., sit alongside Fred Jr. during remote class time to help complete his homework and build confidence in his reading.
The Hunter Family
After enrolling in a local early literacy program for families, Teresa and Isaiah learned that preparing their daughter, Ivy for school didn’t have to wait until preschool or kindergarten. The Hunters introduce letters, sounds, and words to Ivy constantly at home, building her vocabulary and exposure to the fundamentals of reading.
Film Experts
Emily Hanford
Emily Hanford is a senior correspondent and producer at APMReports and host of Sold a Story, the groundbreaking investigative podcast that’s changing how kids are taught to read. Sold a Story was one of the most-shared shows on Apple Podcasts in 2023 and one of Time Magazine’s top podcasts of the year. It has won numerous honors including a duPont, an Edward R. Murrow and a Peabody nomination.
Kymyona Burk
Kymyona Burk, Ed.D. is a Senior Policy Fellow at ExcelinEd. She advises state leads in building new or improving education policy, focusing on the implementation of K-3 reading and literacy. Dr. Burk was the Executive Director for the Jackson Public School District’s Office of Teaching and Learning and the State Literacy Director at the Mississippi Department of Education where she led the implementation of Mississippi’s Literacy-Based Promotion Act.
Benjamin Heuston
Benjamin Heuston, PhD is the Executive Director of Waterford.org, a nonprofit dedicated to providing equity and excellence in education through technology. Building upon his research background in Psychology, Benjamin is also a member of the SIIA Education Board, the Society for Scientific Study of Reading, and the International Gold Key Honour Society, as well as a mentor for Utah Entrepreneurship Challenge.