Changing The Architecture of Diversity & Literacy

The Pierce Twins

Kyra and Phallon Pierce are identical twins who are dedicated to merging diversity and literature in the educational system and the community as a whole. The teens experienced something that sparked their start of social justice reform. While attending St. Dominic School in Chicago’s Bolingbrook suburb in 8th grade, the twins encountered something no child should encounter in any classroom, namely, a reading selection that was jaw-dropping, to say the least. The reading of Ten Little Ni***rs by Agatha Christie shocked the Pierce Twins and ignited their mission to social justice change. The parents of the twins immediately reached out to the school’s principal for clarification and removal as the teens were beyond disgraced and insulted by the sheer level of the school’s disrespect.

Positive Change Charities

While the school was investigating the issue, the twins noticed that the bigger problem was that many schools lacked a diverse reading list, and specifically they lacked African American Authors.

The teens launched the Positive Change Charities campaign to get diverse books into all community libraries, schools and classrooms. Kyra and Phallon started with curating their own reading list of diverse authors. The list includes grade-appropriate books for first grade through 8th.

Inspired and empowered by what they had done, the twins started a GoFundMe to help fund the campaign. The campaign had one mission — “to make a difference not only in our community but across the country”.

Be Positive · Spread Love · Change the World

Summer Literacy Tour

The twins are taking their fight for representation and positivity on tour. In an effort to make sure that communities and children are receiving books, the twins are heading on the road this summer to impact these six major cities six cities: Atlanta, Chicago, DC, Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles. The goal is distribute 500,000 books to under funded libraries and children. Donations can be made on their website: https://thepiercetwins.com/

The Pierce Twins Law

People should not have to wait until they get to college to read about other cultures or be expose to multicultural authors. The Pierce Twins Law, bill HB3254, was initially proposed by Illinois State Representative La Shawn K. Ford, which will require that schools throughout the State of Illinois to include diverse writers of a variety of backgrounds specifically the Black community, women, Native Americans, Latinos, etc; in their K-12 school curriculum. On March 4, 2022, the Pierce Twins Bill passed the House! It’s now heading to the Senate.

Black Excellence

The Pierce Twins said: Teens need to know that inspiring change can start with them. It is never too early or too late to speak up. Real change can start with one voice. Changing your emotions and mindset from negative to positive is the first start of change.