VISION IN ACTION
📚Vision In Action
Juneteenth Literacy Celebration 2025
Our vision of a world without margins isn’t just imagined—it came to life.
On Juneteenth 2025, in downtown Easton, PA, a modest bookstore became a portal. Babies as young as nine weeks and teens on the brink of adulthood stepped into something sacred: a day crafted just for them.
No phones. No noise. No one overlooked. This wasn’t just an event. It was liberation—made tangible.
📚Black Excellence, Live and Unfiltered
From the first step inside, the air was filled with purpose. Sidewalk chalk scrawled messages of freedom. Cheeks became canvases of Pan-African pride. And inside—Black stories took center stage:
- Chenese Gray — EAHS alumna, AI data scientist, designer, and textile visionary — read Hidden Figures.
- Mr. Luciano — EAHS alum and fourth-grade teacher — brought Black Boy, Black Boy to life.
- Maverick Makaveli — UIU founder and Hip-Hop artist — closed storytime with My First Kwanzaa.
- MacVill — activist, MC, and proud father — read When the Beat Was Born and showed how art becomes medicine.
- Kay Melodies — from Allentown to Atlanta — reminded us that home still holds her heart.
EASD counselor Mrs. Wright guided interactive storytime, helping young minds connect to the professionals on stage—and to their own power.
🎧The Beat of Liberation 🎚️👨🏿💻
In a tucked-away room, the revolution had rhythm. Teens leaned over laptops and built beats with Davincii Productions—kicks, snares, and confidence in the same breath.
On stage:
- MacVill performed Portside and The Sun.
- Maverick Makaveli performed “R.B.G.,” a duet of “Put Your Records On” featuring Kay Melodies, and her original “Groove.”
- Kay Melodies performed her Juneteenth freestyle, Still Here.
🎨Joy on Every Surface
Double-Dutch ropes clapped concrete. Chalk dust swirled. Strangers became teammates. Freedom lived in motion and laughter.
🎵 A Sonic Journey 🎸🎤
Music Director Oscar Jimenez and Executive Chair Mia Schenck curated every transition—so each child could feel like the star of their own soundtrack.
🍽️🧃 Nobody Left Hungry 🍪🍕
In the Lehigh Valley, more than 15% of children face food insecurity, and over 10% of residents struggle with consistent access to meals. When school lets out for summer, many students lose their most reliable meal of the day. In Pennsylvania, only 1 in 10 low-income students who qualify for free or reduced lunch access summer meal programs.
We refused to let that be the story here.
Our families stayed fed—freely, fully, and with dignity:
Meals & snacks from Philly Pretzel Factory (Easton), Dunkin’ (Easton), Antonio’s Pizza, Casa di Franco, Pearly Baker’s Alehouse, Bank Street Annex, and more. Plating and supplies courtesy of The Hairitage Beauty Salon & Necessary Vibes Entertainment.
Our community fed our community.
📚Nourished Minds, Too
Every child received a literacy-themed goodie bag and resources to prevent the “summer slide,” a documented loss of 1–2 months of reading skills over summer break that compounds for low-income youth.
💥Before We Were Even Official
No EIN. No grants. Just heart, hustle, and belief in the mission—art, literacy, and liberation.
This is our vision in action.
Citations
- United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley (2024), State of Food Insecurity Report.
- USDA (2023), Summer Food Service Program Participation Statistics.
- Lehigh Valley News (2024), Only 10% of Low-Income PA Students Receive Summer Meals.
- Cooper et al. (1996), Review of Educational Research.
- Learner.com (2023), Summer Learning Loss by the Numbers.
