This Thanksgiving season I’m feeling thankful for something millions of people take for granted — the ability to proficiently read, write and comprehend. Where does my newfound appreciation for literacy stem from? Attending the 20th anniversary of Reading Between the Wines, a fundraiser for Literacy for Life, a nonprofit organization that promotes adult literacy on the Peninsula.

Through auctions and generous donations, this year’s event raised more than $224,000.

Jason Thornton, the organization’s executive director, said the funds will be used to help offset the loss of $240,000 in federal funding. “Thirty percent of the people Literacy for Life helps are immigrants with work permits or temporary protected status,” he said. “To receive federal funds we would only be able to help people with green cards or have already attained U.S. citizenship.”

During the event, I was seated at the same table as two people whose lives were transformed by becoming literate — renowned Colonial Williamsburg chef Ed Swann and Busare Reke, an African immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Laura D. Hill
Swann grew up in Surry County. The son of sharecroppers, he could not attend school regularly due to helping his family grow and harvest crops. While he would go on to become a leading chef at Shields Tavern at Colonial Williamsburg and start a successful catering business, he was functionally illiterate, depending on friends to complete paperwork for him.
Through Literacy for Life, Swann learned to read street signs, medication bottles and books to his wife.
Reke came to the U.S. with his family as a teenage refugee. Literacy for Life helped him learn to speak English, read and write. After graduating from the electrical program at Virginia Technical Academy, he was hired as an electrician. In February, he became a U.S. citizen. He now has his sights set on becoming a master electrician and business owner to help support his family.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 21% of American adults are illiterate, while 54% read below a sixth-grade level. Moreover, adult literacy scores have been declining since 2017. Today more than 45 million adults nationwide are deemed functionally illiterate, which means they can read and write at a basic level but struggle when filling out forms, following written instructions and/or managing finances.Illiteracy limits career options.

People who are illiterate or functionally illiterate are more likely to be in entry-level, low skilled jobs, if they can find a job at all. There is also a notable link between illiteracy, poverty, incarceration and poor health outcomes.

Moreover, findings from a 2020 Gallup Poll suggest that the impact can be generational and costly. “The study noted a cycle of illiteracy and poverty, where children of parents with low literacy levels are significantly more likely to become adults with low literacy themselves.” The price tag of low levels of adult literacy was estimated to cost the U.S. as much $2.2 trillion a year.

Race, ethnicity and nativity are illiteracy drivers with Latinos, especially those born outside the U.S., having the highest rates of illiteracy. Black adults, whose enslaved ancestors were outlawed from being taught to read and write, have made significant progress but still have lower literacy rates compared to white adults; a legacy of American slavery.

Busare Reke, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and his tutor. Literacy for Life supported Reke in improving his English, obtaining his citizenship, and becoming an electrician through Virginia Technical Academy. Murawski Photos

Local and state literacy initiatives are more critical as communities nationwide navigate teacher shortages and the dismantling of the federal Department of Education. Americans must commit to building bigger tables to improve literacy for economic, civic and personal growth. Ultimately, literacy liberates by enabling people to become more critical thinkers, civically engaged, higher skilled and to enjoy a higher quality of life.

As you gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving season, remember to count your blessings. If you are able to read and understand today’s column, then you have one more thing to be thankful for.

When we come together to build a more literate and inclusive community, we all win!

Laura D. Hill is the executive director of the Virginia Racial Healing Institute, which manages Coming to the Table-Historic Triangle. Learn more about her work at varacialhealinginstitute.org.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/11/28/building-a-bigger-table-for-improving-literacy/