Programs
Brothers Building Brilliance
Black Men Read’s Brother’s Building Brilliance is a literacy-focused initiative dedicated to raising reading proficiency among Black children in St. Louis. Through mentorship, tutoring, and community engagement, Black men guide students toward academic success and instill a love for reading. The program is driven by the critical need to address low literacy rates, which disproportionately affect Black students and impact their long-term educational outcomes.
Statistics reveal the urgency: only 27% of Black third graders in Missouri are reading at grade level, compared to 57% of their white counterparts. In St. Louis, these disparities contribute to a growing achievement gap that perpetuates cycles of poverty and limits future opportunities. Research shows that students who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, a key risk factor in entering the school-to-prison pipeline.
Brother’s Building Brilliance aims to break this cycle by ensuring that students surpass third and fourth-grade reading levels, a crucial milestone for academic development. By elevating reading scores, the program helps build brighter futures for St. Louis’ Black youth, reducing the likelihood of future incarceration and increasing their chances for success in school and life.
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Black Men T.A.L.K.
Black Men T.A.L.K. (Truth, Accountability, Listening, Kinship) is a safe and powerful space created for Black men to come together, be real, and be heard. In partnership with Changes Therapy and sponsored by 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis, this initiative provides a supportive environment where men can engage in open, vulnerable, and transformative conversations.
Held monthly, Black Men T.A.L.K. fosters healing, accountability, and brotherhood while offering access to therapeutic resources and community support. The goal is simple yet vital: to create a space where Black men can grow, learn, and thrive together.
Page Turners
The Page Turners Program is a monthly reading initiative designed to inspire a lifelong love of literacy among children in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade. On the last Monday of each month, dedicated Black men from across St. Louis visit elementary schools to read aloud to classrooms, sparking imagination, curiosity, and connection.
This program not only helps students build critical reading and listening skills, but also provides them with positive, relatable role models who reflect their own communities and experiences. By seeing Black men engaged in and excited about books, children are encouraged to view reading as both powerful and enjoyable.
Through shared stories, meaningful discussions, and consistent presence, Page Turners demonstrates that literacy is a community responsibility and a gateway to empowerment. The program fosters joy around reading while strengthening bonds between schools, families, and the broader St. Louis community.