Staff Report
NFL star Arik Armstead visited Sacramento on July 11 to promote literacy and educational equity during a summer reading celebration at Fortune School’s Hazel Mahone College Prep. The Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman and former Walter Payton Man of the Year joined students, families, and staff for a group read-aloud and shared his personal journey with reading.
The event was part of a five-week summer reading program from the Armstead Academic Project and Teach for America, in partnership with Fortune School. This program provides instruction based on the science of reading for rising first, second, and third graders.
Students at the event received free books from the Sacramento Public Library, and Armstead brought to life his new comic book, “Discovering My Superpower,” during a reading session.
“Reading is the foundation for everything, and we’ve got to make sure students start building those skills early,” Armstead said. He emphasized that every child deserves a chance to reach their full potential, a mission that aligns with Fortune School’s commitment to closing the African American achievement gap.
Armstead, who has a longstanding relationship with Fortune School, has previously shared his own childhood experiences with overcoming reading challenges.
Support for this Sacramento OBSERVER article was provided to Word In Black (WIB) by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. WIB is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media that includes print and digital partners.