BALTIMORE — A Baltimore bookstore owner is taking her mission to inspire young readers directly into neighborhoods across the city with a bus full of free books.
The Black Star Line Literacy Bus, created by Tia Hamilton, is making stops throughout Baltimore this summer with one goal: put books into the hands of children and help close the city's literacy gap.
"It's free," Hamilton said. "And just to be able to say that means everything."
Hamilton says too many neighborhoods are what she calls "book deserts," where families have limited access to books and literacy resources.
"There are children who aren't getting the necessary literacy tools that's needed," she said. "It's time to get to the literacy. It's time to educate."
Wrapped in vibrant Pan-African colors, the Black Star Line bus is impossible to miss. Inspired by Marcus Garvey's historic Black Star Line ship, the mobile library also features images of influential Black leaders, including Malcolm X.
As a person who was formerly incarcerated, she draws inspiration from the civil rights leader because a pivotal part of his story included turning his life around from behind bars.
Hamilton says education transformed her own life, and now she's determined to help children avoid the barriers she once faced.
"If 54% of America's adults can't read above the sixth-grade reading level, that's why I exist," Hamilton said. "That's why my mission exists. That's why my foundation exists."
At every stop, children are encouraged to choose books to take home and build their own personal libraries. Hamilton hopes those books become the foundation for lifelong learning.
"If children are reading 20 minutes a day, they will expose themselves to 1.8 million words a year," she said.
Hamilton believes investing in literacy today can help prevent much bigger problems tomorrow.
"It takes $54,000 for one child to take care of them inside a prison," she said. "So instead of investing in that, invest in this cause and invest in me and let me go out here and do the work to make our children literate."
The work isn't easy. Hamilton loads, unloads and distributes hundreds of books herself at each stop, bringing plenty of enthusiasm along the way.
"I don't know," she laughed. "I wake up like this."
Still, she says community support is essential to keeping the bus rolling.
"Donate your time and donate gently used books," Hamilton said. "This is why I'm asking for books and donations because it's not about me. It's about our children, our youth, our legacy."
Hamilton's goal is to give away 100 books at every stop this summer, totaling 5,000 books across Baltimore. She also hopes to expand the program next summer by adding two more literacy buses to reach even more communities.
"They are going to change the world," Hamilton said. "We give them an opportunity."
People interested in donating books, volunteering or supporting the Black Star Line Literacy Bus can find more information through Hamilton's organization here. Hamilton has also launched a "Bookmark It" program to help families, kids and adults, where you can join a reading club and get a discount on books.
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