by ©️Leslye Joy Allen

One factor that no one is talking about is the USA’s #LiteracyCrisis! I taught college history for 7 years and belong to 5 generations of educators in my family. Yet, this country NEVER bothers to consult educators or librarians about anything. Let me share this observation.

I met a MAGA supporter a few months ago who believed that a person could graduate from college without completing a set number of classroom hours if they chose a less demanding occupation or discipline. He thought an English major could graduate with fewer hours than say, a scientist because (his words) the scientist’s job was more difficult than teaching English. Therefore the English major should not have to take as many classes. I kid you not.

Former Georgia Gubernatorial candidate and activist Stacy Abrams, Esq. stated about two weeks ago that the Republican Party has deliberately operated a targeted propaganda campaign to politically disaffected Black men under age 50 over the last 3 major election cycles. They post propaganda and misinformation all over social media targeting these younger men and it worked.

While the majority of Black men voted for Kamala Harris, one in four Black men under 50 supported ‘45.’ Why did this Republican strategy work?

Because the men who are targeted do not read. If you do not read, you do not do any research. And individuals who don’t do any of the above are reliant on what people tell them. They follow what titillates them. They follow whatever propaganda sates their sense that the world is unfair to them. They are easy to fool and to lead and mislead.

This is what we are up against. TWENTY-ONE percent of ALL US adults are completely illiterate. FIFTY-FOUR percent of US adults read below the 6th grade level.

So, now we have a majority of American adults (75% to be exact) who either can’t read or don’t read. When you factor in sexism and misogyny and racism and an over dependence on the internet instead of an over dependence on going to the library, you have a recipe for disaster. So, put on your thinking caps but please talk to some educators and insist that your media outlets do the same.

©️Leslye Joy Allen

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