Literacy Chicago

Those of us who love to read probably take the ability to read for granted. I can barely remember the time in my life before I was able to read. It's such a precious and inherent part of my life that I can't imagine not being able to read. But there are thousands, millions of Americans who can't, and as this story illustrates, lacking this most basic of skills can hold back otherwise talented and dedicated people from success in life.

Robert Grant was a master of odd jobs--bagging groceries, cutting lawns and carrying bricks in his native Jamaica. He even worked in a band, and was singing at a Montego Bay resort when he met Sheryl, and they became romantically involved by the end of the week. Grant left the island in 2001 and came north and married Sheryl. But with only a grade-school education, Grant's job prospects were dim. Without a high school diploma, his goal of becoming a well-paid union bricklayer in Chicago was as far away as his homeland.

He couldn't understand decimal points, or calculate fractions, or translate the tiny notches on a measuring tape--crucial skills in a business where an error of an eighth of an inch can result in crooked walls or throw doors out of alignment.

"I was caught in a situation where I'm getting older and this is it," said Grant, now 31. "All doors are closed without that GED."

Grant found help through an organization called Literacy Chicago.

Literacy Chicago looks like a very worthy organization. While it's rather sobering that groups like this are even necessary to begin with, the state of our public education system, particularly in the inner cities, makes such groups indispensible. You might considering making a donation to them, either of money or volunteering time, to help give others the gift of literacy.

Because literacy is, truly, a gift. I'm strongly considering a donation myself.