By: Yasmina Benachour
In observance of International Day of Peace, the Matsunaga Institute for Peace invited the community to the UH Mānoa campus to explore the intersection of literacy and justice with the Hawaiʻi premiere of Sentenced. The documentary, produced and narrated by NBA player Stephen Curry, illustrates how a lack of literacy skills can lead to a ‘sentence’ of limited opportunities, multigenerational challenges in school, substance use, family violence, and incarceration. The September 8th screening and panel discussion challenged community members to support local initiatives that promote literacy for all.
Before the film began, attendees visited resource booths hosted by Teach for America, Hawaiʻi Literacy, International Dyslexia Organization, the Department of Education, ACLU Hawaiʻi, Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream, HCAP, Early Childhood Action Strategy, and The UH Mānoa Conflict and Peace Specialist. As guests entered the auditorium, a slide projected on stage cited an alarming statistic – “Only 52% of students in Hawaiʻi are reading at grade level (AY 2022-2023).”
Punana Leo ʻo Nuʻuanu keiki and their Kumu Kamaka led the event with an ʻoli, while Lt. Governor Luke and Senator Decoite followed with opening remarks.
Sentenced sheds light on the impact that illiteracy can have on individuals throughout our nation. The documentary follows four adults who never learned to read throughout their daily lives, showing how illiteracy affects them and their children as they reflect back to when their struggles started. Many of the adults in the film recall falling behind in early childhood and never having the chance to catch up or to have the 1:1 enriched study time they needed to learn to read. The film ends with testimonies of individuals who volunteer to help children read and a QR code directing the audience to TeachAKidToRead.com, encouraging others to do the same.
Following the screening, several prominent figures from Hawaiʻi’s education and justice sectors joined in the conversation. The panel was led by Stacey Aldrich, Hawaiʻi State Librarian, and featured Heidi Armstrong, Deputy Superintendent of the Hawaiʻi Department of Education; Yuuko Arikawa-Cross, Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning; Maya Soetoro-Ng, Faculty Specialist at the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace; and Kanoe Enos, Program Lead of Aloha at Home. The panelists reflected on the film and discussed local challenges in Hawaiʻi, encouraging individuals to take action to help improve literacy among our island communities.
“As the Department of Education, that is our charge, to teach children how to read. While that is our charge, other factors definitely come into play,” said Heidi Armstrong. “It will take a village to tackle this effort. I absolutely agree and hold the department accountable for having knowledgeable teachers, for using the right materials, the right strategies because that is our work, but it is going to take more than that. So, while we saw mentors and tutors in the film… We need mentors, and we need tutors, and if you are available, come to stop by the school that is most convenient for you.”
“We saw in the film that having one person, just one person who believes in you and knows that you can do s**t, is really important. So creating spaces where community mentors, tutors, supporters, and extended ʻohana can have that relationship with keiki is very important for literacy programs to be successful,” noted Maya Soetoro-Ng. “After viewing the film, we know that this is a kākou thing. It’s going to take everybody to be able to lift this,” added Yuuko Arikawa-Cross.
Several organizations focused on literacy, child welfare, and social justice co-sponsored the event, including Maui Family Support Services, the Maui County Early Childhood Resource Center, Early Childhood Action Strategy, the UH Mānoa Conflict and Peace Specialist, the Hawaiʻi Public Library System, and the Matsunaga Institute for Peace.
For more information on how to support literacy programs and advocate for change within our communities, check out heluheluhi.org.