MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – It’s a big week for some kids. Not only are they soaking in spring break, but some students added a few more books to their home library thanks to local and visiting authors in the city.
“It was a situation where, I just wanted to use my influence,” Trey Draper said. “My brand started to grow within my field, and it started with just reading.”
Trey Draper is a local author, and the man behind the community book fair.
Eight authors from Memphis to California, joining him to give kids’ books, free of charge.
“I got a DM from some kids that couldn’t afford my books,” Draper said. “They reached out to me and asked if I could get it to them. And my mindset was if they are in that position, how many other kids are in that position.”
During the book fair, Draper and other local community faces like Tony Allen, and former MSCS superintendent Dr.Marie Feagins, stressed the importance of reading.
Draper said it’s what the kids in the community need to see.
“You have trainers, coaches, journalists and artists in the building,” Draper said. “Find something that you want to do. You don’t have to be in the streets, I could have turned to the streets, some of my friends could have turned to the streets. When you look at where we are now, 20 years later, where we grew up in the hood, we aren’t promoting violence, we are promoting literacy.”
From literacy, to entertainment, to just some friendly fellowship, Draper said although its spring break, reading never stops.
“I’ve seen our kids struggle with reading, and we live in a world where technology is at a click of a button,” Draper said. “ChatGPT will do it for you, or at the click of the button AI will do it for you. And I don’t want that to be our kids experience.”
At the community book fair, one lucky student received a FREE publishing package, to help publish their own work.
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