In summer book club, diverse Baltimore churches discuss ‘The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone And How We Can Prosper Together.’

By Rev. Kevin Slayton Sr.Special to the AFROThere’s an old saying that says you can judge a society based on its treatment of its children and seniors. Annie E. Casey Foundation’s recent Kids Count Data Book, which shows a stark racial distinction facing children in the state of Maryland, reveals that the progress we’ve sought as a city and a community to address equity is more than lacking.& Members of the Northwood-Appold United Methodist Church in East Baltimore and the Roland Park Presbyterian Church located in West Baltimore are collaborating on a Summer Book Club. (Courtesy photo)According to the data, Maryland ranks 22nd among states for overall child well-being. Overall, the data suggests that we are failing to prepare the next generation to take on productive roles in the future workforce. Black and Brown children who live in areas described as high-poverty communities, in particular, are deemed to be suffering the most. The data showed that 1-in-6 fourth-graders in 2022 were reading at or above proficiency, while only 25 percent of eighth-graders were at or above proficient in math. But in an academic ethos that generates its budgetary framework on the idea of “social promotion” this is to be expected....