What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 5pm Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm Thursday 8:30am - 5pm Friday 8:30am - 5pm

http://www.literacy-council.org/

The Literacy Council, Salvation Army Center of Hope/2015 26th Avenue N, Birmingham, AL (2025)

Q: What is the address?

Salvation Army Center Of Hope/2015 26th Avenue N

04/22/2025

Join us tonight from 5–10 PM at Rojo Birmingham for Percentage Night supporting The Literacy Council of Central Alabama!

Enjoy great food, meet the team, and learn how you can help support adult literacy in our community.

📍 2921 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AL

04/21/2025

Buzz Buzz! It's Almost That Time!

The Birmingham Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee is just around the corner! Think you have what it takes?

Register and Purchase your tickets at https://birminghamspellingbee.swell.gives/

04/16/2025

We invite you to discover what The Literacy Council is all about—join us at ROJO Birmingham on April 22nd from 5:00 to 10:00 PM, and if you know someone who might be interested in improving their literacy skills, bring them along!

04/09/2025

Want to make a real difference in someone’s life? Volunteer as an Adult Basic Literacy tutor! No teaching experience needed — we’ll give you everything you need to help an adult learner succeed with a personalized plan.

Interested? Contact Helen Dolive at [email protected] to get started!

02/06/2025

We're accepting applications to our Junior Board, a group of young professionals who share TLC’s mission to improve the lives of adults and their families through literacy education that teaches people to read, write, and speak English. To apply, see the link in our bio.

02/05/2025

In 1740, South Carolina was the first colony to codify compulsory illiteracy for African Americans. Teaching enslaved African Americans was a crime. Similar laws spread throughout the South, Alabama’s Digest of Laws prohibiting under penalty of fine for teaching literacy. As Christopher Spann explains in “Learning in Spite of Opposition: African Americans and their History of Educational Exclusion in Antebellum America,” throughout the colonies and eventually the states, “an entrenched ideological consensus supportive of black inferiority theories, slavery, segregation, and the overall subjugation of African Americans,” meant that the codification of illiteracy was more than a denial of education; it was characteristic of a complete denial of humanity.

Throughout the antebellum South, these views were consistently challenged in the narratives of enslaved African Americans. As Francis Fredric, an enslaved man who escaped on the Underground Railroad, writes, “It cannot be pretended for one moment, truthfully, that we are not capable of understanding if we were taught. I myself am a living witness against such an absurdity; after fifty years of age I have learnt to read and write. No, no. It is not our stupidity, but the slave owners' lust of power and gain which oppose the precepts of our Lord.... It is only by keeping the poor slaves in ignorance that they can uphold slavery. Let the slaves have the same opportunity as the freemen to learn to read and write, and nothing could prevent their rising, and freeing themselves (Slave Life in Virginia and Kentucky; or, Fifty Years of Slavery in the Southern States of America, 1863).

02/03/2025

In "'Clothing Themselves in Intelligence': The Freedpeople, Schooling, and Northern Teachers, 1861-1871," Heather Andrea Williams explains how important it was for enslaved people to access literacy and establish schools even before the arrival of Union troops: "Meeting in the old brush arbors and hidden churches on plantations, in former slave markets, or in sheds, African Americans who could read and write provided schooling for those who could not."

After the arrival of troops, building schools became an urgent priority for freedpeople. "In slavery, the very act of learning to read had been a secret form of resistance, but in its aftermath, freedpeople transformed the act of becoming literate from a clandestine occurrence into one of life's necessities," she writes.

Pictured is Mary McLeod Bethune with students from the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls (eventually ), which she founded in 1904 (Wikimedia Commons).

01/21/2025

Are you passionate about making a difference and driving impactful change? The Literacy Council is hiring for a Coordinator of Mission Advancement! If you’re ready to help us expand our mission, we’d love to hear from you! Click the link (also in our bio) to apply.

Coordinator of Mission Advancement https://careers.alabamanonprofits.org/job/coordinator-of-mission-advancement-birmingham-alabama-1608

01/20/2025

On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, The Literacy Council celebrates the transformative power of education and literacy, values Dr. King championed throughout his life. His commitment to equality, justice, and the right to education inspires us to continue working toward a world where every individual has access to the tools that empower their voice.

As we reflect on his legacy, let us remember that literacy is a key to unlocking opportunity and breaking down barriers. Let’s dedicate ourselves to fostering learning, promoting inclusion, and advancing equal access to education for all.

01/02/2025

Cheers to a new year of hope, progress, and literacy! 📚✨

The Literacy Council and our dedicated Board of Directors and Junior Board gathered to celebrate the joy of the season and set our sights on a brighter, more literate 2025.

Together, we are improving lives, one word at a time. Here's to empowering adults and their families through education and creating opportunities for a stronger, more connected community. 💙

01/02/2025

📚 Let’s start anew with a clean slate—just like a fresh, new book. 📚

As we embrace the promise of 2025, we are filled with anticipation for the opportunities ahead. At The Literacy Council, we are excited to reach even more individuals, empowering them to learn, grow, and upskill in reading, writing, and speaking English. Our unwavering commitment to expanding literacy continues, creating pathways for growth and transformation.

Here’s to 2025—filled with new beginnings and the power of literacy to change the lives of adults and their families.

We believe in you! ✨

01/01/2025

📚 Let’s start anew with a clean slate—just like a fresh, new book. 📚

As we embrace the promise of 2025, we are filled with anticipation for the opportunities ahead. At The Literacy Council, we are excited to reach even more individuals, empowering them to learn, grow, and upskill in reading, writing, and speaking English. Our unwavering commitment to expanding literacy continues, creating pathways for growth and transformation.

Here’s to 2025—filled with new beginnings and the power of literacy to change the lives of adults and their families.

We believe in you! ✨

01/01/2025

A heartfelt thank you to all who attended New Year Reflections with Birmingham’s Poet Laureate, Salaam Green! 🌟

The evening was filled with powerful poetry and heartfelt connections, all set against the breathtaking skyline of the Magic City. A wonderful way to close out the year and look forward to what the New Year holds.

✨ Thank you to Alabama Humanities for sponsoring this incredible event, and to Vulcan Park and Museum for providing such a stunning space! Here’s to a year of new beginnings, growth, and inspiration!

Salaam Green
Alabama Humanities Alliance
Vulcan Park and Museum

12/29/2024

Start your New Year’s celebrations with an evening of beauty and reflection!

Tomorrow, join us for “New Year Reflections” featuring Birmingham’s Poet Laureate, Salaam Green. Set against the stunning twilight skyline of the Magic City from the feet of Vulcan, this free event invites you to embrace healing, transformation, and fresh beginnings through poetry and community.

🗓 Monday, December 30, 2024
⏰ 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
📍 Vulcan Park and Museum, Electra Room
🎟 Admission: Free (Seats are limited—reserve now: https://VPMpoetlaureateSalaamGreen.swell.gives)

Light refreshments will be served as you enjoy the power of Salaam Green’s inspiring poetry in an atmosphere that combines art, connection, and breathtaking views. Let this magical evening prepare your heart and mind for the year ahead!

Salaam Green
Alabama Humanities Alliance
Vulcan Park and Museum

✨🖊

12/28/2024

Observing Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) on Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa, observed from December 26 to January 1, is a celebration of African heritage, unity, and cultural identity. On this third day, The Literacy Council of Central Alabama reflects on the principle of Ujima—collective work and responsibility, which calls us to build and maintain our community together and solve problems collectively.

Through our mission to improve the lives of adults and their families through literacy education, we exemplify Ujima. Literacy empowers parents to read bedtime stories, helps adults navigate job opportunities, and enables families to write meaningful messages to loved ones. Together, we tackle challenges and create pathways for growth and success.

Aligned with this year’s theme, "Celebrating Kwanzaa in Difficult and Demanding Times: Lifting Up the Light that Lasts," we honor the strength of our community and the transformative impact of literacy education.

✨ Join us in observing this meaningful holiday and supporting literacy as a tool for empowerment and unity. Together, we can continue to create lasting change.

📚✨ Make a difference today: https://secure.swell.gives/tlcwintercampaign/donations #/amount

12/27/2024

Observing Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights and Family Traditions

Hanukkah, which began the evening of December 25, 2024, and continues until Thursday, January 2, 2025, is a time to celebrate miracles, resilience, and togetherness. Today, on the second day of Hanukkah, families gather to light two candles on the Hanukkiah (menorah) using the shamash, or helper candle. This sacred ritual is often performed with the Hanukkiah displayed in windows or doorways, radiating light and hope to the world.

For The Literacy Council of Central Alabama, Hanukkah’s emphasis on family gathering and community resonates deeply. Literacy strengthens family bonds, enabling parents and children to share stories, preserve traditions, and connect across generations. Just as the Maccabees rededicated the Holy Temple, we work to rededicate lives through the transformative power of education.

Aligned with the spirit of Hanukkah, our programs foster resilience and empowerment, offering individuals and families the tools they need to illuminate their own paths forward.

✨ May this season inspire us to embrace the miracles of community, learning, and hope.

12/26/2024

📦✨ Celebrate the Spirit of Giving This Boxing Day ✨📦

Boxing Day, celebrated on December 26, is a day rooted in generosity and sharing. Traditionally marked by giving "boxes" of gifts to those in need, it embodies the power of community and support.

This Boxing Day, The Literacy Council of Central Alabama invites you to help transform lives through literacy education. Serving 6,000 individuals across a five-county region—many of whom speak languages from over 70 countries—we empower adults to read, write, and speak English.

You can make a difference:
📚 Donate Books: Share the joy of reading by providing books to learners of all ages.
⏳ Donate Time: Volunteer as a tutor to help adults achieve their literacy goals.
💖 Donate Funds: Support programs that uplift families and communities through literacy.

Literacy creates lasting impact:
📖 Fostering meaningful family moments, like reading to grandchildren or assembling toys for loved ones
🛠️ Enabling individuals to upskill and better understand job manuals and opportunities for advancement
🌟 Empowering families to connect, inspire, and build brighter futures

Join us in spreading hope and joy this Boxing Day. Together, we can transform lives and strengthen communities through the power of literacy.

📚✨ Make a difference today: https://secure.swell.gives/tlcwintercampaign/donations #/amount

12/25/2024

🎄✨ The Gift of Literacy on This Christmas Day ✨🎄

On this Christmas Day, we celebrate the transformative power of literacy in bringing families closer together.

At The Literacy Council, our mission is to improve the lives of adults and their families through literacy education.

Today, we reflect on how literacy helps create meaningful holiday moments:

🎁 Following instructions to assemble a child’s favorite new toy
🎶 Surprising loved ones by reading aloud a treasured holiday passage or story
📖 Reading sacred English texts such as the Bible as a family
✍️ Starting new traditions with writing, reading, or sharing personal stories and reflections

Books make the perfect gift to inspire young minds, empower adult learners, and nurture a lifelong love of learning.

By giving the gift of literacy, we help families connect, honor their traditions, and create memories that last a lifetime.

Let’s make spirits bright on this Christmas Day and beyond by spreading the joy of reading, speaking, and writing. Together, we’re building stronger families and brighter futures for all.

The Literacy Council

04/22/2025

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Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm