PPGJLI
I founded the nonprofit, Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute, with a small group of community members in my living room. We were determined to end the school to prison pipeline because:
1 in 4 children in America have not learned how to read
Students who are not proficient with reading by 4th grade are 4 times more likely to drop out of school
Youth who drop out of school are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested in their lifetime
We are creating new pipelines to success for all children by promoting reading and diversity in children’s books. The organization has achieved several milestones – donating over 18,000 books to children, inspiring over 5,000 children with visits to schools, and 30,000 participating in PPGJLI virtual readings.
We also have our first PPGJLI Youth Writing Competition winner, Zephaniah Martin. This talented 10-year-old author wrote Jaheem’s First Kwanzaa and has been recognized as an Amazon bestseller.
You can help too!
Our work at PPGJLI is dependent on the generosity of corporations, foundations, and individuals such as yourself to further our mission.
Ways you can join our efforts:
➥ Purchase our books, Justice Makes a Difference or Jaheem’s First Kwanzaa. All of the proceeds from the book sales support our nonprofit.
➥ Donate to support PPGJLI
WHAT WE DO
What we do
Raise awareness of the reading crisis
Support diverse books and authors
Promote cultural preservation
HOW WE DO IT
How we do it
Education and training
Community engagement
Global leadership
WHY WE DO IT
Why we do it
Ignite leadership in every child
End school-to-prison pipeline
Create social change