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Our Mission

At Reading With Mrs. Richardson, we aim to empower marginalized communities through the transformative power of literacy and storytelling.

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How It Came to Be

Carla Robinson holding the mayor's "New Era" award in Dec 2022

Meet our Founder

As a journalist, I have a passion for authentic storytelling. I attended Middle Tennessee State University where I majored in Broadcast Journalism. After college, I moved home to Memphis to begin my career but was never fully satisfied with the story pitches in my newsrooms. Positive stories that impacted my urban community were far and few and negative stories and crime became daily "breaking news" headlines. I wanted change. Unsure of how to make my dream a reality, I connected with Soledad O'Brien as a mentee to learn how to craft my art of storytelling.

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One Student at a Time

Reading With Mrs. Richardson began as an after-school program at Germantown Middle. We began with a small group of 6 students that met once a week. This was an opportunity for students to gain extra support through tutoring and one-on-one rigorous practice.  In 2020, our lessons moved to virtual due to the pandemic allowing us to reach more students. Eighty-seven students tuned in, and the students were fully engaged and interested! 

Your Support Goes Far!

With your support, we've been able to... 

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Our programs have impacted more than 5,000 students across the Mid-South

Board Members

Caroline Earnest,

Memphis Shelby County Schools S.E.E.D Office

Stuart Breakstone, Attorney

Preston Jefferson, Jr Mortician and Police Officer

Stasia Taylor, Federal Government

Cori Smith, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry

Sharolyn Fields, Educator

Victoria Ragland, Pinnacle Bank Regional DEI Director

Sheri Catron Cooper, COSLA, Principal

Mark Neal, Assistant Superintendent,

Millington Municipal Schools

Timeko Clinton, Educator

Shunmeka Wayne,

Shelby County Schools District Advisor

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