Group brings "books to barbershops" to encourage literacy, fight stereotypes

There's a buzz being heard around Milwaukee barbershops. It's the sound of children reading.

Zoe's Barber Elite now has a small arsenal of books. They're one of 21 urban shops that'll receive children's books from the group “Be the Change-Milwaukee.” The aim is to get more books in the hands of young black males.

Consider the statistics. According to the African-American Literature Book Club, only 3% of black male Milwaukee 8th graders score at or above proficient level in reading. By senior year, many black students are still behind 4 grade levels, creating a grim domino effect

\"You're pretty much a liability on society, and then that puts you on the track for jail. I mean what else can you really do? It's a setup when our kids can't read,\" Be the Change founder Allegra Walls said.

The books were donated from many groups throughout Milwaukee, if you'd like to help put books in barbershops you can contact [email protected]