Successfully Building Leaders for the Future
Successfully Building Leaders for the Future
Dr. Artika Tyner
"Education and literacy are essential for justice, social change, and to equip
the next generation of leaders." -Dr. Artika Tyner
Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute (PPGJLI), a community literacy nonprofit based in St. Paul, Minnesota, is successfully building leaders for the future by creatively engaging youth in personal ways with reading and writing. Their unique approach focuses on sharing books that celebrate many cultures, promoting storytelling & cultural preservation, and building intergenerational reading circles. The impact on young people is inspiring and shows what is possible when a community concerned about racial justice and equity comes together to support and empower future leaders through literacy and the arts.
IT ALL BEGAN WITH:
A Sense of Community
I’m a proud fifth-generation daughter of Rondo,[1] a historic Black neighborhood and symbol of resilience, courage, and perseverance. Rondo gave me a strong sense of community, purpose, culture, and heritage and helped shape who I am and why I founded PPGJLI. Like many other Black communities, its existence was threatened by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. Characterized as a pathway of least resistance due to political disenfranchisement and lack of economic power, Interstate 94 was built through the heart of it, destroying over 300 Black-owned businesses and 700 Black-owned homes. Although Rondo endured the triple blows of racial removal, disinvestment, and harmful city policies, a new chapter is being written. Led by a new generation of freedom fighters, entrepreneurs, and difference-makers, Rondo is becoming a blueprint of arts-based community development for other marginalized communities nationwide. Central to our community's revitalization and cultural preservation efforts are our elders, who continue to provide invaluable wisdom and embody the enduring values of hope and faith that have defined Rondo for generations.
A Love For Reading
I was in high school during the peak of the War on Drugs, when the majority of my community entered the prison gates for nonviolent drug offenses. With mandatory minimums, they were sentenced to decades-long confinement. My mother, worried about my safety and prioritizing my education, encouraged me to spend my time in the house reading. I found peace and refuge in the pages of books and at the libraries I frequented. Reading fueled my desire to learn, grow, and become a leader. It also helped me understand first-hand what it feels like to be more likely to see a black bear or black dog on the cover of a book than a Black girl or Black boy, or to have my Rondo story reflected in the narrative. It wasn’t until much later that I learned about other Black communities with vibrant economies like Tulsa Oklahoma, Mound Bayou Mississippi, and Eatonville Florida.
A Desire For Justice
These unique and defining life circumstances led me to become a civil rights attorney. The law is a language of power, and I needed to become fluent in the techniques and policies. By learning the “language of power,” I could minister to the needs of the Black community through legal and public policy advocacy. This was also where I witnessed many of my clients learn how to read while in prison and recognized how literacy is not only a building block to creating better outcomes but also preventing cycles of incarceration and disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. This pipeline, described by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund as “depriving children and youth of meaningful opportunities for education, future employment, and participation in our democracy,” is an entry point into the “tangled web of mass incarceration.”[2] It is greatly impacted by school disciplinary practices, zero-tolerance policies, and an increased reliance on police rather than teachers and administrators to maintain discipline. This is a major concern of our community.
A Challenge To Be Addressed
In 2017, my friends and I gathered in my living room lamenting these challenges in our criminal justice and education systems. I reminded them of my life philosophy: “When we see a problem, we create a solution.” This was the genesis of Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute. Its programming would address the concerns over growing illiteracy rates and mass incarceration. We’d design ways to provide all readers with an opportunity to discover joy in reading by seeing themselves represented on the pages of a book and help them unveil their limitless potential. With a mission to plant seeds of social change through education, training, and community outreach, the newly formed nonprofit would create new pipelines to success by improving literacy rates. Today those same community members remain dedicated to the mission of what has evolved into a nationally recognized social enterprise as the only Black-led woman-owned bookstore, publishing house, and literacy nonprofit in the nation. Our award-winning literacy campaign is not only providing young people with hope for the future and a pathway to break the cycle of marginalization and oppression, but also inspiring them to view themselves as leaders with the capacity to address their challenges and pursue their dreams.
IT IS DESPERATELY NEEDED BECAUSE OF:
A Literacy Crisis Across The Nation
One in every four children in the United States has never learned to read. Children who haven’t learned to read by Grade Four are more likely to drop out of school, be incarcerated, and have low-paying jobs that keep them in poverty. Because basic literacy skills are more easily developed from birth to age five, these children have not only missed a “window of opportunity,” but have far fewer opportunities in their adult lives as well. According to the 2024 Nation’s Report Card, only 30% of all fourth graders and 29% of all eighth graders across the nation scored at or above proficient in reading. The figures are even more staggering for Black students who are often in economically disadvantaged school districts. Only 17% of Black fourth graders scored at or above proficiency and Black eighth graders currently have a 14% proficiency rate. The repercussions of these figures have lifelong consequences[3]. In fact, According to the U.S. Department of Justice,[4] reading failure is the greatest predictor of future incarceration. A full 85 percent of children in the juvenile justice system are not literate and this feeds the school-to-prison pipeline.[5]
A Representation Gap In Children’s Literature
Children are more likely to read books when they can identify with the characters, yet only 11.9% of children’s books portray Black characters. According to a 2019 Lee & Low Books survey, only 5% of those involved in the publishing industry identify themselves as Black, and only 7% of new children’s books published are written by BIPOC authors.[6] Because children who read about characters like them develop a positive concept of themselves and of others like them, these figures not only influence literacy engagement but also an individual’s overall well-being. But here’s how change is happening.
IT SUCCESSFULLY MEETS THAT NEED THROUGH:
The nonprofit (PPGJLI) and its affiliated social enterprise (PPGJ Press & Bookstore) work synergistically to create solutions to both the literacy crisis and the representation gap by ensuring that relatable books with positive messaging that increase literacy and leadership are accessible to all. The two signature programs listed below are providing a framework to plant those seeds of social change.
The Leaders Are Readers Program
This program promotes literacy and diversity in books by offering read-aloud events that bring multiple generations together at local libraries and community centers where resources are limited. The free monthly gathering establishes and builds intergenerational reading circles. It engages multiple generations in a fun and meaningful way to relatable books, while offering local Black authors a platform to foster absent narratives. It also inspires First Educators, those caring adults who interact with children before they enter school, with role modeling and support. And because 61% of low-income families have no books in their homes,[7] the program ensures that each child takes home a book with relatable characters. Over 39,000 books have been given away at these events since its inception. The books, created and published through the synergy of the nonprofit and social enterprise, focus on promoting representation and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the African Diaspora. Nearly 8,000 young people around the world have discovered a meaningful connection to books as a result of this award-winning program. And by building strategic partnerships with thriving businesses like Kowalski’s grocery stores and the Minnesota Twins, and world leaders like Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, the Akwamuhene, and Paramount Chief of the Akwamu State in Ghana, this impact continues to expand.
The Write For Justice Program
This program promotes literacy and leadership by offering writing opportunities and incentives for communities of color to create, re-imagine, and build a more just and inclusive world through the transformative and healing power of storytelling. It is ushering in new futures by preserving and sharing the stories of people of African descent, fostering absent narratives, and addressing the need for diverse authors in the Black community. The program provides encouragement and support for emerging literary artists of all ages through in-person workshops. It also brings the newly published authors together for book signings at local bookstores and libraries. This provides opportunities for community members to engage in collective learning as they share their wisdom, hone their craft, and develop cultural agility. This process is key to promoting an intergenerational approach to arts-based activism and community building. The writing program continues to foster community engagement and leadership within the Black community and has resulted in the training and publishing of sixty–six authors across the African Diaspora. The authors range in age from eight to eighty years of age. The resulting anthology projects, containing literary contributions from both elders and youth, have received community awards as well. These intergenerational storytelling projects are preserving culture, inspiring future leaders, and building a literacy-rich Black community. In partnership with the social enterprise, PPGJ Press and Bookstore, nine culturally authentic children’s books were published and distributed in 2024 as a result of this program which aims to publish 100 Black authors by 2033 and build an ecosystem for new literary artists.
IT IS POWERFULLY GUIDED BY:
A Unique Leadership Theory
What runs through all of PPGJLI’s programming is its unique leadership theory, which I developed after a decade of research. It is based upon the study of social change movements nationally and globally, mobilization rooted in principles of Pan-Africanism, and leadership profiles of Black leaders. Built upon the unwavering desire to impact others, ignite change, and inspire people to discover the leader within, it focuses on developing leaders from within the community. Whether it's a preschooler or a community elder, they are invited to lead by asking “What’s in your hands to make a difference?” My “Education for Social Change” TED talk[8] further elaborates on this concept.
A Community Network
PPGJLI continues to successfully build leaders of the future through ongoing engagement and relationship-building efforts. The nonprofit connects people of all ages by sharing critical information, encouraging the community to teach and lead others within their sphere of influence, and building a community network through the power of relationships. It is based on the idea that “Planting People” is an organic process that yields a great harvest over time. It starts from the ground up as a seed is planted until it takes root. This seed represents resistance against marginalization and oppression to further the cause of social justice. As the seed begins to germinate, community members of all ages start to view themselves as leaders with the capacity to address their challenges and realize their power to resist oppression. This ongoing process of collaboration, perseverance, teamwork, and diligence is social change in action. It is visibly “Growing Justice” in our historic Rondo community where community engagement and an intergenerational approach to literacy are breaking through despondency and ushering in new futures for an entire community.
A Global Vision
The challenges and solutions that are happening in Rondo are not isolated. They are happening throughout the nation and the world. Building successful leaders of the future is needed everywhere and is central to a trans-global movement for justice and equity. When we create and or share relatable characters and stories with positive messaging, children find joy in reading. It also helps them develop a positive self-image which impacts their decision-making, relationships, and overall health and well-being. Let’s aspire to do all we can to ensure that all children have access to these types of books, especially during the formative early years. Let’s commit to providing ample opportunities for youth to lead and contribute to their communities. And let’s continually ask ourselves, “What is in my hands to make a difference?” Regardless of what culture, gender, age, or economic background, our future leaders are depending on us. Together, we can build the world our hearts know is possible.
Dr. Artika Tyner is the founder of Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute, a St. Paul-based literacy nonprofit, and its affiliate social enterprise Planting People Growing Justice Press and Bookstore. She is also an accomplished educator, civil rights attorney, and award-winning author of forty books. By using a cross-sector intergenerational approach to strategically bridge the literacy gap, she is equipping future leaders and planting seeds of social change.
[1] Rondo Neighborhood | Saint Paul Historical. (n.d.). Saint Paul Historical. https://saintpaulhistorical.com/items/show/160
[2] Case: School to Prison Pipeline. (2018, February 16). Legal Defense Fund. https://www.naacpldf.org/case-issue/school-prison-pipeline
[3] NAEP Reading: Reading results. (n.d.). https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reports/reading/2024/g4_8/
[4] Taglianetti, T. J. (1975). Reading Failure - A Predictor of Delinquency. CRIME PREVENTION REVIEW, 2(3), 78091. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/reading-failure-predictor-delinquency#0-0
[5] Haynes, I. (2025, April 8). Literacy Statistics 2022-2023. National Literacy. https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/post/literacy-statistics-2022-2023
[6] 2019 CCBC Diversity Statistics. (2020, June 16). Cooperative Children’s Book Center. https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/the-numbers-are-in-2019-ccbc-diversity-statistics/;
Lee & Low Books. (2025, March 24). Diversity Baseline Survey 2.0 - Lee & Low Books. https://www.leeandlow.com/about/diversity-baseline-survey/dbs2/; Books by and/or about Black, Indigenous and People of Color 2018-. (2025, March 21). Cooperative Children’s Book Center. https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/books-by-and-or-about-poc-2018/
[7] Rea, A. (2020, April 9). How serious is America’s literacy problem? Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/How-Serious-Is-Americas-Literacy-Problem
[8] Ted. (2014, November 3). Education for Social Change | Dr. Artika Tyner [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/P5QHAhMYwoA?si=JWmLVUYkNGlv4uGp