The poolside show featuring the work of Moroccan designer Yasmina Qanzal took place as part of Red Sea Fashion Week
At particular threat are African-American communities where many students are already falling behind their majority peers in terms of literacy, said award-winning writer Marita Golden—and this despite the growing ranks of noted African-American writers, such as Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.
“My biggest concern is that the technology will continue to widen the gap,” she told Reuters. “It won’t just be the digital divide but also a reading divide if reading becomes an activity that’s now dependent on technology.
“If reading becomes dependent on technology that must be purchased, then I think we may see the literacy divide persist and even widen.”
Years of discussion on the future of books amid the sweeping technological changes, along with a desire to make sure black writers were included in that discussion, prompted Golden to pull together her recent book, “The Word,” in which African-American writers talk about how reading shaped their lives for the better.
Edward P. Jones, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his novel “The Known World,” said he felt that “reading and writing are the foundations for becoming a better person and having a better life.” Others said how reading about lives like their own helped validate their experiences and give them confidence.
In this sense technology, such as e-readers, can be both a blessing and a curse in terms of literacy, Golden said, with some readers who might have been intimidated by the number of pages in a traditional book eagerly reading on an e-reader.
In addition, with the US African-American community owning more mobile phones and BlackBerries than the white community, potential exists to tap into a broad market, she added.
“But the problem is that you can either download games or download books, and we don’t know what people are going to download,” she said.
Despite undergoing some struggles with the idea of the new technology, Golden said that the need to emphasize the basics remains more important than ever.
“On the one hand, you have all these great writers—there’s been just a flowering, explosion of African-American writers over the last 20-30 years—side-by-side with an increasing dropout rate among black students, and a sense that more and more black students are being left behind,” she said.
“And I think that for those of us who are passionate about reading and writing in the face of the technological changes and this nagging, persistent problem, we have to really advocate for just the basic importance of reading and writing—whether you’re reading on a Kindle, or whatever.”
The poolside show featuring the work of Moroccan designer Yasmina Qanzal took place as part of Red Sea Fashion Week
The quake struck at 9.57pm UAE time, at a depth of 5km
Abu Dhabi Police has called on drivers to be careful and use alternative routes
Official says the bomb blast happened after a militant group demanded extortion money from the group that runs the school
He accuses sports bodies of not allowing Russian athletes to perform at the games with the country's banner, flag and national anthem
Renowned media and marketing professional to spearhead strategic growth and development initiatives for Dugasta Properties in Dubai
'Last night, the Israel Defence Forces (army) rescued the bodies of our hostages,' a military spokesman said
TikTok spokesperson says it never shared Canadian user data with the Chinese government