Gail Taylor
Project: Bed-Stuy Sisters’ Reading Circle: To Re-Discover, Re-Imagine, and Re-Store Community
Inspired by the hard legislative work of Senators Jacob Javitz and Robert F. Kennedy, the Restore Housing complex, located at 260-280 Herkimer Street will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in August 2024. As a member of one of the inaugural families, I will initiate and lead an online book club for women who have a history with and/or an interest in the Restore Housing complex and the surrounding Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. The curated booklist will represent the area’s diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences and serve as a springboard for reflection, storytelling, and action.
Bio:
Dr. Taylor, a native of Bedford-Stuyvesant and longtime literacy educator, has taught in a variety of educational settings including public/charter schools, elite private academies, and the university. She recently founded an innovative online school, Humanitas World Preparatory, LLC, which is open to students of all backgrounds while being centered on the unique cultures, interests, strengths, and needs of African- and Caribbean-American children and young adults. She teaches the flagship course: “Integrated English Language Arts” a hybrid English and Social Studies class for secondary school students who plan to attend university. (This spring, the students are completing a unit based on the life and times of Alexander Hamilton by writing research papers and attending the award-winning Broadway musical.) Dr. Taylor also supports individual students who struggle with reading through her “Online English Tutoring” business. As a community service, she offers free online reading assessments and written reports to all interested students.