Authors Visit Benjamin Turner for Read Across America

On Monday, March 3, 2025, the Benjamin Turner Academy invited guest authors for “Read Across America,” an event to promote literacy in children. Students at BTA excitedly lined up in the middle of the gymnasium to speak affirmations such as “I am smart” and “I am talented” into a microphone held by a young author. 

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Led by PTA president Marissa Wiley, “Read Across America” aimed to cultivate students’ enthusiasm in reading by connecting them with published authors and speakers from all walks of life. Teachers and staff arrived at the event in style, wearing shirts that said “Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader,” showing students that with reading, they can achieve their dreams and become successful adults. 

The first author was Cassidy Bridges, who started her career as a model, actor, and social media influencer at the age of two-years-old. She read aloud from her book “Thank you, it's an Afro,” which was coined after her signature catchphrase from a viral video. This book teaches young children to be unapologetically confident in their unique features and is a symbol of pride amongst people of color and the natural hair community. 

Cassidy prompted BTA students to say “afro-mations” with her, a mix of the word Afro and affirmations. Each student in the gymnasium repeated the afro-mations with a large smile and enthusiasm. 

The morning with Cassidy concluded with a Q&A and a book signing.

“I learned that you should always love your hair no matter how it’s styled,” said Skylar Fosu, a third grader at BTA. “I feel more confident in my hair.” 

The grades were then split up so that the students could enjoy two authors simultaneously in the gym and media center. In the gymnasium, Mount Vernon native Halim Sharif and Amira the Duck read “Don't be a Bully,” and taught students how to be kind to one another and combat bullying. 

In the media center, Keirsten Wannamaker read her book “The Superstar in You,” a book of affirmations. The students followed along intently, soaking in all of the positive affirmations and pictures featured in Ms. Wannamaker’s book. 

“Be confident,” said Mohamed Diallo, a fourth grader at BTA. “Being unique is good! I learned not to be afraid to like different things or have different styles.”

In the later half of the day, Ebony Bannister, a teaching assistant at BTA, alongside the National Junior Scholars, read to the Unique Learners using puppets. 

Mount Vernon City School District Board Member Warren Mitchell and Mount Vernon Police Department Detective Lisa Rhodes talked to students in grades five through eight about the importance of reading. This event ignited and encouraged every BTA student's passion for reading. 

“Our students were captivated by their words and left with a renewed sense of excitement about the stories they can create and the worlds they can explore through books,” said Raisa Turner, Assistant Principal at BTA. “This experience not only highlighted the importance of reading but also encouraged our students to dream big and believe in their own potential.”