Fond du Lac Public Library will show documentary ‘The Right to Read’ as community groups grapple with literacy

No single factor influences a child’s future success more than the ability to read, and too many children cannot read at even a “basic” level. 

Learn more about this serious concern during one of several upcoming showings of an award-winning documentary titled “The Right to Read” as local organizations begin to grapple with how to increase the literacy rate in the Fond du Lac community.

Free showings will be held at the Fond du Lac Public Library on:

• Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, July 24 at noon
• Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m.

Each event is open to the public and will include an opportunity to discuss what viewers learned while watching “The Right to Read.”

Executive produced by Levar Burton, “The Right to Read” shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two families who fight to provide America’s youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. The documentary has been selected nationally at multiple film festivals, including the 2023 Milwaukee Film Festival.

Thirty-seven percent of fourth-graders in the United States read “below basic,” according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). As defined by the NAEP, the term “below basic” denotes performance that falls below the lowest performance level. More information may be found at nationsreportcard.gov.

The showings at the Fond du Lac Public Library are one step in a larger movement in Fond du Lac toward improving the community’s literacy rate. Community members are encouraged to become a part of this effort; no registration is required to attend these showings.