Today we’d like to introduce you to Devon Frazier.
Devon, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
What is funny is I think I have unknowingly been building I See Me, Inc. since I have been in education. As a classroom teacher, I have always understood the importance of literacy. I used books to teach almost anything I could. There were, however, two turning points in my career, which pushed me closer to my purpose.
Every year as a classroom teacher, I would fall in love with my class. I called them my children. I still feel as if they are years later. One particular year I had a little boy that captured my heart. He had some deficits in reading and troubled home life. By the end of the school year, he had grown tremendously and was near proficiency. Over the years, I would run into him and no matter what he was doing, right or wrong, he would speak to me very respectfully. If he was doing wrong, he would try to quickly hide it from me. Years later, that young man took the life of my classmate. I was devastated. I kept thinking to myself what I could have done to safe both him and my friend. My further research led me to the school to prison pipeline and how literacy impacted children on that pipeline. All of my attention was focused on literacy from then.
With a focus on literacy, I assigned my students to read a book for 20 mins every night. Over 90% of my children said that they did not have a book at home other than the bible. I then began to allow them to check out books from my classroom library. I had hundreds of books. Most were very diverse. One day I noticed that my books were falling apart. I began to chastise my students for not taking care of them. Mid-sentence, I realized that the only books that were worn were the ones that depicted characters that mirrored them. At the time, I taught in a school which was overwhelmingly African American. It became my mission to place at least one book in each child’s home in the school by the summer, which depicted characters of color. I wanted them to see themselves as they read.
I began a book drive in January. Once people learned about it, the school began to be flooded with new children’s books from AROUND THE WORLD!! We received books from as far away as Ireland. I received a phone call and letters from men and women who wanted to share how being literate “saved there lives.” I would sometimes reread the cards and letters or reflect on phone calls and literally cry. I knew then that I had found my piece of the puzzle, my purpose in life.
Has it been a smooth road?
We have had far more ups than downs during our growth. For me, my biggest struggle was finding balance. I am still working as a Reading Specialist in a school system full time. I make it a point to give I See Me, Inc. the same amount of time. I am also a single parent. No matter what I did, I did not want my daughter to feel neglected. I am grateful to have an amazing support system but sometimes my 11-year-old “mommy girl” just wants her mommy. I began including her in some of the things we did. She began calling herself “CEOIT,” which is short for “CEO in Training.” I can’t say that I have found complete balance however, things are far better than they were.
Another struggle was finding the resources to be able to provide programs without charging the family or school. As an educator, I know first hand how limited resources can be in a school. I am also aware how limited resources can impact a family and community. As a 501c3 it can oftentimes be hard to secure the funding needed. I also had a learning curve in the nonprofit world of fundraising and grant writing. All of my years have been spent inside of a school. I am grateful that God surrounded me with a first-class board and support system to advise me as I gained my footing.
We’d love to hear more about I See Me.
The mission of “I See Me, Inc.” is to dismantle the “School-to-Prison Pipeline” by increasing the literacy rates in children of color by engaging them in the literature that reflects their culture and mirrors their image. Often times, when people speak of the school-to-prison pipeline, illiteracy is not one of the factors addressed. Statistics, however, show a strong correlation between the two.
– 85% of children that become involved with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate.
– 2/3 of children who cannot read proficiently by the fourth grade will fall victim to the prison system or will have to receive welfare.
– 60% of the prison population in the US are functionally illiterate and 19% are completely illiterate.
It is obvious to I See Me, Inc. that one of the ways to narrow the school-to-prison pipeline is by addressing literacy. We understand that we are all drawn to those things we feel connected to. We use this philosophy to foster a love of reading in children of color. We have several programs in several cities in Alabama. We are widely know for “Real Men Read” and “Crown Me.” This year we celebrated ten years of “Real Men Read.” This one-day event serves as a time for boys of color to see a book in the hands of a man of color and equate success to literacy. If you ask most boys what they would like to be when they grow up, they may say an athlete, police officer, fireman or rapper. Many of them may not have a positive male role model at home. They can’t be what they can’t see. This is a boys-only event. We have been blessed to have Judges, truck drivers, the SWAC Commissioner, a motorcycle club, bank Presidents, CEOs and more that dedicated their time to invest in the life of a child. It is breathtaking to see the joy on the boy’s faces as they sit with a man to read.
Through a partnership with local licensed barbers, “I See Me, Inc.” offers students from local elementary schools a chance to EARN free haircuts by simply reading. “Crown Me,” named after the children’s book “Crown” by Derrick Barnes, is an effort to motivate students to read. Each student that is involved will receive a free book at the beginning of each month. Once a month, students will share their reading mastery with the barber in an attempt to be “crowned” with a free haircut to celebrate their success.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I love about Birmingham is its hidden beauty. It seems like almost every day, someone is sharing with me about a park, trail or preserve. Not to mention the beautiful murals that have been popping up all over the city. I enjoy discovering and exploring these gems. The beauty also resides in the citizens. Birmingham is becoming increasingly diverse. It brings me so much joy when I am in the mall or park and I can see the different shades of us all. We are a beautiful rainbow of browns hues.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iseemeinc.com
- Phone: 2053778844
- Email: dfrazier@iseemeinc.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ISeeMeInc/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ISeeMeInc/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/ISeeMeInc/
Image Credit:
Crea8live Studios (Riko Harris and Daz Goodman) al.com
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