0:00:14.760,0:00:19.937
Cancer, heart disease, diabetes -

0:00:20.137,0:00:23.708
these are considered some of the most[br]serious issues facing our planet today

0:00:23.708,0:00:25.507
and justifiably so.

0:00:25.507,0:00:28.456
According to the International Agency[br][for Research on Cancer],

0:00:28.456,0:00:32.053
over eight million people[br]are claimed each year due to cancer.

0:00:32.343,0:00:35.259
The World Health Organization[br]reports that heart disease -

0:00:35.259,0:00:38.097
the leading cause of death[br]worldwide annually -

0:00:38.097,0:00:41.710
touches 17.3 million people each year.

0:00:41.960,0:00:44.164
The WHO also reports

0:00:44.164,0:00:49.292
that an estimated 422 million people[br]worldwide, including myself,

0:00:49.292,0:00:51.228
live with diabetes.

0:00:51.228,0:00:52.706
Do you know what affliction

0:00:52.706,0:00:56.478
affects an estimated[br]one billion people across the globe,

0:00:56.478,0:01:00.784
approximately 1/7[br]of the world's entire population?

0:01:01.064,0:01:02.677
Illiteracy.

0:01:03.267,0:01:04.598
That is not to undermine

0:01:04.598,0:01:07.748
the importance of funding and research[br]for these other afflictions.

0:01:07.748,0:01:08.748
On the contrary,

0:01:08.748,0:01:11.740
it's to highlight the seriousness[br]and importance of illiteracy,

0:01:11.740,0:01:15.372
and that if it was a health issue[br]would be deemed an epidemic,

0:01:15.562,0:01:18.977
but unlike these other issues[br]that currently do not have cures,

0:01:18.977,0:01:20.785
illiteracy does.

0:01:21.015,0:01:24.734
Illiteracy is not a social[br]or societal or cultural defect;

0:01:24.734,0:01:26.952
it's the lack of ability to read.

0:01:26.952,0:01:29.325
It's a solvable problem.

0:01:29.745,0:01:32.549
But what is illiteracy? How is it defined?

0:01:32.549,0:01:34.759
There are many forms of literacy:

0:01:34.759,0:01:38.777
computer literacy, health literacy,[br]financial literacy, and others.

0:01:38.787,0:01:40.545
For the sake of today's conversation,

0:01:40.545,0:01:43.655
we're going to talk about[br]what a bulk of the population thinks of

0:01:43.655,0:01:45.468
when they hear the word "illiteracy" -

0:01:45.468,0:01:48.987
the basic inability to understand[br]or produce written information.

0:01:48.987,0:01:51.307
Those of us that make[br]our ways through life

0:01:51.307,0:01:55.383
off of sight words, images,[br]just being able to sign our name,

0:01:55.383,0:01:57.607
those folks are functionally illiterate.

0:01:57.607,0:02:01.684
And as vaccines help to eliminate and stop[br]the spread of disease,

0:02:01.684,0:02:03.857
literacy can help us eliminate,

0:02:03.857,0:02:07.878
to stop the spread[br]of hunger, poverty, and crime.

0:02:07.878,0:02:11.709
It is the tool necessary[br]to break those harsh social cycles.

0:02:12.329,0:02:15.443
The data is telling and troublesome.

0:02:15.743,0:02:19.599
Students who exit fourth grade[br]without being able to read proficiently

0:02:19.599,0:02:22.898
have a 78% chance of not ever catching up.

0:02:23.448,0:02:29.828
90% of welfare recipients are[br]either high school dropouts or illiterate.

0:02:30.178,0:02:34.328
85% of individuals that interface[br]with a juvenile court system

0:02:34.328,0:02:38.697
are either functionally illiterate[br]or don't read with proficiency.

0:02:39.057,0:02:42.147
No one factor can so drastically shape

0:02:42.147,0:02:46.619
a person's chance of success,[br]earning potential, health, and well-being

0:02:46.619,0:02:48.600
while helping to break the cycle

0:02:48.600,0:02:52.986
that leads to daily poverty[br]and struggle like literacy.

0:02:53.586,0:02:55.269
There are countless examples

0:02:55.269,0:02:59.243
of how literacy has impacted a life[br]or changed a community,

0:02:59.243,0:03:03.053
but I'm going to share one of the ones[br]that I'm at least the most familiar with -

0:03:03.053,0:03:04.406
my own.

0:03:04.406,0:03:05.849
But first a quick survey.

0:03:05.849,0:03:08.769
And for some, the questions[br]can feel personal,

0:03:08.769,0:03:11.677
so if you choose not to participate,[br]there's no judgment here.

0:03:11.677,0:03:13.675
But how many of us when we were growing up

0:03:13.675,0:03:15.674
were on some kind[br]of government assistance,

0:03:15.674,0:03:18.673
whether that was food stamps[br]or Section 8 housing?

0:03:18.913,0:03:23.145
How many of us came from a home[br]of either single parent or divorce?

0:03:24.403,0:03:26.408
How many of us[br]when we were in grade school

0:03:26.408,0:03:28.808
were on free or reduced lunch?

0:03:29.794,0:03:30.786
The data tells us

0:03:30.786,0:03:32.619
that about 82% of students

0:03:32.619,0:03:35.154
that are eligible[br]for free and reduced lunch

0:03:35.154,0:03:37.969
don't read at proficiency, at grade level.

0:03:37.969,0:03:42.680
Three out of four food stamp recipients[br]perform at the lowest literacy levels.

0:03:43.830,0:03:46.207
I had all of these factors[br]in my childhood;

0:03:46.207,0:03:49.770
in fact, I'm the least likely person[br]to be standing before you today

0:03:49.770,0:03:52.388
as an authority on literacy[br]and education initiatives,

0:03:52.388,0:03:55.009
seeing as how I barely[br]graduated high school.

0:03:55.009,0:03:57.679
And you're may be like "Whoa, T![br]I just heard your intro.

0:03:57.679,0:03:59.634
You were the Texas librarian of the year.

0:03:59.634,0:04:00.924
You have a master's degree.

0:04:00.924,0:04:03.683
You frequently speak[br]on children's literacy and literature.

0:04:03.683,0:04:08.480
You're articulate[br]and well-dressed and handsome."

0:04:08.480,0:04:10.000
(Laughter)

0:04:10.000,0:04:11.815
See how many will get in there.

0:04:11.815,0:04:14.483
My journey begins not far[br]from where you sit today -

0:04:14.773,0:04:17.237
the booming metropolis of Lubbock Texas.

0:04:17.237,0:04:20.195
That is neither handsome nor well-dressed.

0:04:20.195,0:04:21.775
(Laughter)

0:04:21.775,0:04:25.917
Were we all that bad in the '90s[br]or was I just so off-base?

0:04:25.917,0:04:28.581
And what is with[br]the suspenders and the belt?

0:04:28.581,0:04:33.635
Where were my pants going that I was[br]so concerned that I needed both?

0:04:33.635,0:04:35.025
(Laughter)

0:04:36.296,0:04:38.607
That's on a fade, thankfully.

0:04:39.527,0:04:43.206
My mother, she grew up[br]in a small farming community

0:04:43.206,0:04:45.750
southwest of Lubbock, called Meadow.

0:04:45.750,0:04:49.805
She had a very stable upbringing,[br]my grandfather ran the cotton gin there.

0:04:49.805,0:04:53.655
She had stability - three square meals[br]a day, a roof over her head.

0:04:54.485,0:04:57.485
She graduated high school[br]but didn't finish college,

0:04:57.485,0:04:59.952
ended up marrying my father[br]and having me.

0:05:00.592,0:05:03.063
I think trouble was always brewing[br]under the surface,

0:05:03.063,0:05:06.103
and when I was seven,[br]my parents divorced and my father left.

0:05:06.103,0:05:11.280
I didn't see or hear from my father[br]from 1986 until his death, in 2007.

0:05:11.280,0:05:14.435
My mother - God rest her soul,[br]she passed in 2014 -

0:05:14.435,0:05:15.729
she did the best she could,

0:05:15.729,0:05:19.196
but with no higher education,[br]it was difficult to be the breadwinner.

0:05:19.196,0:05:20.338
So she was gone a lot,

0:05:20.338,0:05:24.039
working, trying to keep a roof[br]over our head and food on the table.

0:05:24.319,0:05:27.855
But with no siblings,[br]I was home alone a lot,

0:05:27.855,0:05:29.816
and that's where my struggles began.

0:05:30.246,0:05:32.105
My grades began to suffer.

0:05:32.105,0:05:34.107
I was passable, barely more.

0:05:34.107,0:05:36.431
I acted out, was the class clown,

0:05:36.431,0:05:38.007
which, after years of counseling,

0:05:38.007,0:05:40.497
I know was just my way[br]of trying to get attention.

0:05:41.167,0:05:44.333
I spent a lot of time[br]running with the wrong kind of crowd,

0:05:44.333,0:05:46.585
doing things young men ought not do.

0:05:46.865,0:05:49.438
I've got a lot of detention in study hall,

0:05:49.438,0:05:52.266
but for me, staying after school[br]for detention in study hall

0:05:52.266,0:05:54.372
was better than going home[br]to an empty house.

0:05:54.372,0:05:57.530
And detention in study hall[br]happened to be in the school library.

0:05:57.530,0:05:59.336
Now, I was an adequate reader,

0:05:59.336,0:06:01.345
but it doesn't help your street cred

0:06:01.345,0:06:04.537
to be seen carrying the newest[br]Baby-Sitters Club or Goosebumps book.

0:06:04.537,0:06:05.659
(Laughter)

0:06:05.771,0:06:08.418
But the library was a safe,[br]comfortable environment,

0:06:08.418,0:06:10.818
and that's where my transformation began.

0:06:11.590,0:06:15.392
I think we can all identify[br]at least one teacher or educator

0:06:15.392,0:06:17.768
that had a great impact on our lives.

0:06:17.768,0:06:19.647
For me, one of those

0:06:19.647,0:06:22.643
was the librarian at Bowie[br]Elementary School in Lubbock, Texas -

0:06:22.643,0:06:24.406
Miss Ray.

0:06:24.626,0:06:26.304
Now while all of the other teachers

0:06:26.304,0:06:28.966
were sending me to the office[br]or putting me in a corner -

0:06:28.966,0:06:31.057
not that I blame them,[br]because I was a pill -

0:06:31.057,0:06:34.451
Miss Ray engaged me in a meaningful way.

0:06:34.451,0:06:37.152
She told me about this award for books

0:06:37.152,0:06:40.325
where the children of Texas[br]got to vote on the winner.

0:06:40.325,0:06:42.295
It was called the Texas Bluebonnet Award,

0:06:42.295,0:06:44.117
and all you had to do to be eligible

0:06:44.117,0:06:48.025
was read five of this list[br]of 20 books, and that was it.

0:06:49.005,0:06:51.918
For me, the idea that I could help decide

0:06:51.918,0:06:55.038
what the best children's book[br]in Texas was just by reading

0:06:55.317,0:06:56.836
was magical.

0:06:56.836,0:06:58.617
Just five - of course I read all 20.

0:06:58.617,0:07:00.347
I'm sitting in tutorials anyway.

0:07:00.347,0:07:01.797
And while I'm sure Miss Ray

0:07:01.797,0:07:05.131
would have preferred me to work[br]on my schoolwork and improve my grades,

0:07:05.131,0:07:08.816
I was transfixed by the idea[br]of belonging to something,

0:07:08.816,0:07:10.781
being a part of something.

0:07:11.081,0:07:12.586
See, when I was reading,

0:07:12.586,0:07:17.064
it didn't matter that I was on food stamps[br]or that my father had abandoned me

0:07:17.064,0:07:20.026
or that all my friends knew[br]I was on free lunch at school.

0:07:20.026,0:07:22.891
It changed me and helped me to believe

0:07:22.891,0:07:27.536
that my life had all the opportunity[br]that I was willing to take advantage of.

0:07:27.816,0:07:31.439
Now I never did become a good student,[br]and I did barely graduate high school,

0:07:31.439,0:07:34.783
but because of Miss Ray,[br]I had the foundational skill of reading

0:07:34.783,0:07:38.838
that serves as a key[br]to unlock upward mobility for life.

0:07:39.558,0:07:41.222
I don't know where Miss Ray is now.

0:07:41.222,0:07:43.369
I don't know where she is[br]or what she's doing,

0:07:43.369,0:07:45.828
and I've never been able[br]to appropriately thank her,

0:07:45.828,0:07:50.309
but I hope that my life in literacy[br]is suitable thanks.

0:07:51.369,0:07:53.761
Traditional education is important,

0:07:53.761,0:07:58.710
but reading is the foundation upon which[br]all other essential skills are built.

0:07:59.230,0:08:00.233
I am an example

0:08:00.233,0:08:03.190
of the transformative power[br]that literacy can have on your life

0:08:03.190,0:08:06.902
and help to break the harsh social cycles[br]we sometimes find ourselves in.

0:08:06.902,0:08:11.228
A third of all children born into poverty[br]will stay there through adulthood,

0:08:11.228,0:08:15.924
but because of Miss Ray and many others[br]along the way that took an interest,

0:08:16.144,0:08:18.297
I'm not a part of that statistic.

0:08:19.117,0:08:22.526
All of this is why schools and libraries

0:08:22.526,0:08:26.097
should be cathedrals,[br]beacons of light on the highest hill,

0:08:26.097,0:08:29.594
proclaiming to all that here[br]is where you change your life,

0:08:29.594,0:08:33.731
here is where meaningful,[br]impactful progress is made.

0:08:33.731,0:08:36.964
Librarians and teachers should be lauded[br]for the work they're doing -

0:08:36.964,0:08:40.288
educating our children and trying[br]to make the world a better place

0:08:40.288,0:08:42.109
through education.

0:08:42.739,0:08:46.145
The investment in the intellectual[br]development of our children

0:08:46.145,0:08:47.810
is not a nice-to-have,

0:08:47.810,0:08:49.550
it's a must have.

0:08:50.838,0:08:54.056
The ability to read[br]is a fundamental human right.

0:08:54.056,0:08:58.061
It's like access to clean[br]drinking water or health care.

0:08:58.061,0:09:00.729
Its impact is every day.

0:09:01.369,0:09:06.224
180 million children worldwide[br]will never darken the door of a school,

0:09:06.224,0:09:09.831
but if they can read,[br]they stand a chance -

0:09:09.831,0:09:12.042
a chance to make their lives better,

0:09:12.042,0:09:14.046
a chance to make[br]their family lives better,

0:09:14.046,0:09:17.794
a chance to impact their communities[br]or villages or cities.

0:09:18.444,0:09:20.166
And when we're talking about impact,

0:09:20.166,0:09:23.624
the greatest impact[br]is a child's access to books.

0:09:23.944,0:09:26.309
Children that have books at home

0:09:26.309,0:09:30.444
is a greater indicator of future success[br]than their parents' education level.

0:09:30.814,0:09:36.882
Middle-class-income households,[br]a child to book ratio's about 1 to 13.

0:09:37.162,0:09:40.031
In low-income areas, that changes,

0:09:40.031,0:09:44.379
and the age-appropriate book[br]is one for every 300 children.

0:09:44.999,0:09:48.248
So my challenge[br]for all of us today is this:

0:09:48.598,0:09:50.817
We need to get books[br]into the hands of kids

0:09:50.817,0:09:54.934
that will make a difference,[br]where it will have an impact.

0:09:55.674,0:09:58.138
The next time you're invited[br]to a birthday party,

0:09:58.138,0:10:00.928
instead of taking a toy[br]that's going to break in a week,

0:10:00.928,0:10:02.388
take a book.

0:10:02.758,0:10:04.794
Stick a book in the stocking.

0:10:05.510,0:10:07.641
Support your local literacy initiatives.

0:10:07.641,0:10:09.905
Support your local public library.

0:10:10.205,0:10:11.587
I envision a world

0:10:11.587,0:10:14.746
where children have access at home[br]to the same number of books

0:10:14.746,0:10:16.545
that is at least their age.

0:10:16.545,0:10:20.385
If every eight-year-old had access[br]to at least eight books at home,

0:10:20.385,0:10:23.819
and every 13-year-old[br]had 13, and 17 had 17,

0:10:23.819,0:10:27.004
can you imagine the impact[br]that that would have on their generation?

0:10:27.004,0:10:29.645
And thereby future generations?

0:10:30.545,0:10:32.196
The great Laura Bush -

0:10:32.196,0:10:35.608
oh my, that is a handsome,

0:10:35.608,0:10:39.174
my lovely wife on the left[br]and then the legend,

0:10:39.174,0:10:41.133
and Mrs. Bush is there as well.

0:10:41.133,0:10:43.829
(Laughter)

0:10:45.689,0:10:47.159
The great Mrs. Bush,

0:10:47.159,0:10:52.027
who is a librarian by profession[br]and a personal hero of mine,

0:10:52.027,0:10:55.341
once said that children who read[br]learn two things:

0:10:55.671,0:10:59.118
First, that reading is worthwhile,

0:10:59.118,0:11:02.698
but second, that they are worthwhile.

0:11:03.308,0:11:05.135
Literacy is important.

0:11:05.445,0:11:07.450
Literacy matters.

0:11:07.650,0:11:10.311
Literacy can make a difference.

0:11:10.311,0:11:14.031
Whatever the question,[br]literacy is the answer.

0:11:14.431,0:11:15.777
Thank you.

0:11:15.777,0:11:18.832
(Applause)[br]