Our story
"I am Mary Anna's wildest dream."
Reading With Mrs. Richardson teaches Memphis children to read, write and tell their own stories. It started with a great-grandmother who never learned to read.
Our mission
Our mission is to empower the whole child through literacy, using diverse stories and overlooked histories to build strong readers, confident thinkers, and future leaders who recognize their greatness and know their circumstances do not define their potential.
Why literacy is personal
"When people ask me why literacy matters so much to me, I can talk about reading scores. I can talk about book deserts. But the real answer goes much deeper than numbers. It starts with my great-grandmother, Mary Anna Dickerson.
Mary Anna died in her 50s never learning how to read or write. But what she did understand was the power of an education. She instilled that belief in her daughter Susie, my grandmother, who spent more than 40 years serving in education.
A great-granddaughter of a woman who couldn't read or write grew up to become a journalist, then an English teacher.
Today I lead a literacy organization dedicated to putting books into children's hands and helping young people understand the power of their own stories. Every Little Free Library we place, every classroom we walk into, every child who receives a book: it all started with Mary Anna."
Carla Fields-RichardsonFounder and Executive Director
Read the full story on the blogMeet Mrs. Richardson
Carla studied broadcast journalism at Middle Tennessee State University, then came home to Memphis to start her career. In the newsroom, positive stories about her community were few, and crime filled the daily headlines. She wanted change, and learned the craft of storytelling as a mentee of journalist Soledad O'Brien.
She became a licensed 6 to 12 English teacher and started Reading With Mrs. Richardson to give students the stories, and the skills, the headlines left out.
- BackgroundJournalist, then middle school English teacher
- Teaching licenseEnglish language arts, grades 6 to 12
- AuthorMemphis Made workbook and LOUD THOUGHTS journal
We teach literacy. We build confidence. We honor legacy.
At Reading With Mrs. Richardson, literacy is about more than learning to read and write. It's about helping children discover who they are, where they come from, and who they can become.
We intentionally use diverse, culturally rich literature and the powerful stories of people, communities, and historical figures whose contributions have too often been overlooked, silenced, or erased. Through these stories, students strengthen their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills while developing confidence, character, cultural awareness, and a sense of belonging.
We want every child to understand that they come from greatness. Their ZIP code, family income, or current circumstances do not define their intelligence, their worth, or their future.
We don't shy away from difficult history. We use it to inspire meaningful conversations, encourage independent thinking, and show students the resilience, courage, brilliance, and determination of those who came before them.
We're not just building stronger readers. We're developing the whole child: confident thinkers, informed citizens, and future leaders who know their stories matter, and their possibilities are limitless.
One student at a time
From a once-a-week group to a citywide literacy movement.
- The first class
Six students at Germantown Middle
An after-school group that met once a week for tutoring and one-on-one practice.
- 2020
87 students log on
The pandemic moved lessons online and the program reached more students than ever. Rooted Readers began giving away books the same year.
- December 2022
The mayor's New Era award
Carla is honored for her work with Memphis students.
- June 2026
$15,000 from the City of Memphis
A Neighborhood Partnership Grant through the FY27 Strategic Community Investment Fund.
- 2026
WREG Nonprofit of the Week
Featured by WREG News Channel 3 and Brown Missionary Baptist Church through Greater Memphis on a Mission.
- Today
10,400+ books and counting
New books by diverse authors in children's hands, five Little Free Libraries in Shelby County, and Memphis Made in classrooms.
Board of directors
Educators, attorneys, public servants and community leaders who keep the mission on track.
Help write the next chapter.
Every gift puts new books in children's hands and keeps literacy programs running in Memphis classrooms.