HOUSTON – Jan. 29, 2020 – When Eros Shaw cuts hair at his shop on Saturday mornings, he always likes to make sure that the children have something good to read while they are waiting to climb up into his chair.
Shaw’s bookshelf at the Mystros Barber Academy always has something to offer his younger clients, but it requires a constant effort to keep the shelves stocked. Thanks to a recent donation from the Texas Caucus of Black School Board Members, that bookshelf is now nearly full.
The TCBSBM is a non-profit organization that speaks on behalf of quality education for African Americans in the state of Texas. They became aware of efforts to support literacy at Mystros and responded by sending Spring ISD School Board Members Donald Davis and Winford Adams Jr. two large boxes of children’s books to deliver to the barbershop.
As Spring ISD Family and Community Engagement staff stocked the bookshelves, the children wasted no time picking through the selections of story and travel books. Many kept reading their selections as they moved from the waiting area to the barber’s chair.
The push for literacy at Mystros and other area shops are part of the Books in the Barbershop Literacy Program. It’s a community partnership between Spring ISD and area barbers who want to provide high-quality books to their younger customers.
For Shaw, any effort to support literacy in the Spring community isn’t just good business, it’s personal. “The fact that I grew up not knowing how to read as a young man myself, I didn’t want to see that torch being passed, if I could have anything to do with it,” said Shaw.
Shaw was excited to see the TCBSBM donation being put to good use almost immediately after the boxes arrived at his shop on the Cypress Creek Parkway. “As the kids come in the shop, I love the fact that they can pick up the books and start reading them,” said Shaw. He added that he got a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that those children would not have to go through what he went through growing up.
After unpacking the boxes of books, Spring ISD Director of Parent Engagement Tranita Carroll said that she was thrilled to see the full shelves. “We are so thankful to the Texas Caucus of Black School Board Members for their generosity. These books will help to create even stronger readers in our community,” said Carroll.