Founded in 2020 as a Community Project by Ypsilanti Community Organizer, Kallista Marie.
A goal of Our Community Reads is to replace the negative, traumatic stories that Black children see and experience growing up.
What an honor. What a gift. What a moment for our village. 💛
We are overflowing with gratitude to be selected as a 2026 Beneficiary of the Big House 5K hosted at Michigan Stadium by the University of Michigan.
To be invited into a space so iconic, so full of history, and to have Our Community Reads named as a partner in this experience… it feels like someone looked at the quiet, consistent work happening in Ypsilanti and said, we see you.
This opportunity is more than a race.
It is fuel for our dreams.
Because when you run for Our Community Reads, you are helping us:
✨ Put more culturally affirming books into the hands and homes of families in the 48197/48198 zip codes
✨ Create more joyful 40-minute reading circles where children and caregivers read together
✨ Expand the reach of our Queens and Pharaohs Clubs as literacy, exposure, and life-skills spaces
✨ Strengthen the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that allows this heart work to be sustainable, organized, and ready to grow
This partnership gives us room to breathe.
Room to build.
Room to dream bigger for the children and families we walk alongside every day.
It means deeper capacity.
Stronger systems.
And more literacy-filled moments rooted in joy, connection, and possibility across Ypsilanti.
To everyone who will run, walk, donate, share, and cheer us on — you are becoming part of the story we are writing with our community.
With full hearts and grateful spirits,
The Our Community Reads Team
Our Pharaohs are heading to New Orleans!
Pharaohs Club 2nd Annual Transformational Fieldtrip and why it matters:
Travel brings learning to life. History, geography, science, and culture move beyond the pages of a book and become real experiences that children can see, touch, and explore for themselves.
Travel sparks curiosity and a love of learning. New places encourage children to ask questions, make observations, and seek out new information, helping them become lifelong learners.
Travel strengthens literacy skills. Children read maps, signs, menus, museum exhibits, and informational materials while connecting stories and classroom lessons to the world around them.
Travel expands possibilities and builds confidence. Visiting colleges, museums, historical sites, and new communities helps children imagine futures they may not have previously considered while increasing their independence and self-esteem.
Travel cultivates empathy and global awareness. Experiencing different cultures, perspectives, and ways of life helps children develop understanding, respect, and appreciation for people whose experiences may differ from their own.
At Our Community Reads, we believe travel is more than a trip—it is an opportunity to plant seeds of possibility, expand dreams, and help young people discover that the world is bigger than they imagined and that they have a place within it.
Upcoming Events
Want to join us for our next community event? Check out our schedule so you can add the events to your calendar.
Featured Stories
Jeana Austin
My Hair is Magic
Justin Harper
Let The Children March
Roshanda Mitchell
All Are Welcome
Gregory Anglin
Brown Boy Brown Boy What Could You Be?
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Queens Club resting and learning during their 2025 Transformational Fieldtrip to Boston, MA. This site is the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial.
Queens Club pause for a quick photo, after a day of walking and exploring in Boston, MA during their 2025 fieldtrip.
Queens at Harvard University
Art on Harvard University's campus. A moment in time with one of our Queens at the Alain Locke Gallery.
Historical exploration beyond the classroom is a highlight of our young scholars fieldtrips. Boston is home to The Embrace sculpture that honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King. Queens in Boston, MA 2025.
Our Queens and Pharaohs enjoy our monthly Topaze Community Reading Circle. They welcome family members and trusted community members during our 4o minutes of group reading during our monthly Royal Sunday programming.
Our Queens and Pharaohs learned a few things about cars with Mr. Zion Horton and they might be able to do tune ups soon.
Our Queens and Pharaohs learned a few things about cars with Mr. Zion Horton and they might be able to do tune ups soon.
The Topaze Community Reading Circle Book Table!
Sa'Naura, one of our Queens Club members smiles with Youth Arts Alliance's Chinelo Onuigbo during the Summer of HeART snack and storytime at the Ypsilanti District Library. Sa'Naura was one of our amazing teen readers.
One of our Pharaohs' Club members, Jeremiah, participated in our storytime and snack time during the summer of 2025 in collaboration with Youth Arts Alliance Summer of HeART at the Ypsilanti District Library.
Bryan Johnson shares a bit of joy while reading a picture book at the Our Community Reads and Black Men Read FUNdraiser Books and Brews BnB Playdate in collaboration with DjZu, Buff1 and Mash.
Books and Brews BnB Playdate at Mash in Ypsilanti. A FUNdraiser for Our Community Reads and Black Men Read which is a lovely escape from adulting that includes storytime with children's picture books, Open Mic style, music and games. Such a great collaboration with Dj Zu and Buff1.
A full house at the Ypsilanti District Library for the Youth Arts Alliance Summer of HeART storytime and snack with Our Community Reads.
A visit to the Ypsilanti District Library on Whittaker Rd was our first stop during our 1st summer collaboration with Educate Youth for our Buses and Books 6 week literacy program. We visited five libraries, read "Patina" by Jason Reynolds, got a little lost and found our way on the AATA bus service. A great adventure.
The Pharaohs Club enjoyed their 1st Annual Transformational Fieldtrip in June of 2025 to Atlanta, GA and Montgomery, AL. Here they visited the Martin and Coretta Scott King Memorial during their tour with Atlanta's Roundabout Tour Company.
Pharaohs Club enjoyed some great sight seeing during our Atlanta Black History & Civil Rights Tour with Roundabout Tours. The tour included a stop at the Tyler Perry Studio.
Our Pharaohs Club explored, read, and definately played during their trip to Montgomery, AL. We met such kind people and had a race on Tuskegee University's football field.
A bit of nature at the Atlanta Botanical Garden during the Pharaohs visit to Georgia.
Dreams do come true. Earth Goddess is an amazing site at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, a must see during the Pharaohs Club visit.
Our Community Reads loves removing barriers to literacy and book accessibility. We now have three free book bins throughout the Ypsilanti area. Stop by the In and Out on Share, Avenue Market on Michigan Ave, and RP Fuel at 445 S Huron. Stop in, grab a book and enjoy!
