Believe Quote by Ishmael Reed
“I'm beginning to believe that Killer Illiteracy ought to rank near heart disease and cancer as one of the leading causes of deathamong Americans. What you don't know can indeed hurt you, and so those who can neither read nor write lead miserable lives, like Richard Wright's character, Bigger Thomas, born dead with no past or future.”
About This Quote
Illiteracy is a deadly public health issue comparable to heart disease and cancer, causing profound personal and societal harm.
In simple terms: Illiteracy kills like disease.
Key Takeaway
Promote literacy education.
Themes
education
public health
social justice
Mood
concerned
urgent
Type
advocacy
educational
When to use this quote
- schools
- community centers
- policy making
- family literacy programs
Key Concepts
literacy
inequality
health disparities
Questions to Reflect On
- How can communities better support adult literacy?
- What policies could reduce literacy gaps?
A Different Perspective
Addressing illiteracy requires systemic change and funding.
![“In her excellent, entirely readable Richard Wright, Hazel Rowley accomplishes what [previous biographer] Michel Fabre would have liked to do with once-guarded letters, aging witnesses, previously unidentified girlfriends. . . . Mostly, Rowley concentrates on telling Wright's very powerful story.” quote by Darryl Pinckney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/344/darryl-pinckney-19796_accomplish_in-her-excellent-entirely-readable-richa_1194431.jpg)
![“How does the [New York] Times treat White pathology? They reported an epidemic of heroin addiction in the Philadelphia suburbs. which included emergency admissions and overdoses; these White people in the suburbs were doing heroin like it was going out of style. I counted the words: the article…” quote by Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a16/ishmael-reed-7430_addict_how-does-the-new-york-times-treat-white_541651.jpg)
