Illiteracy is "a sleeping giant in America," John Corcoran told Rotarians and guests at a Literacy Initiative in Tuscaloosa, Alabama USA. He credited Rotary with being the civic organization that can wake it up. "An organization that can attack world-wide polio is an ideal vehicle for also attacking the challenge of illiteracy."

Literacy is the key that opens multiple doors of opportunity. But on the other hand, illiteracy contributes to social ills including poverty, unemployment, crime, and broken homes. Heeding the call of RI President Wilf Wilkinson, the Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa partnered with the local Chamber of Commerce in hosting the West Alabama Literacy Initiative. The March 27 meeting drew an audience of nearly 400 representatives from public, private, and non-profit organizations that are concerned with combating illiteracy.

Under the banner "Rotary Promotes Literacy," the all-day program was intended to raise awareness of the social impact of illiteracy, to bring together various entities having their own individual projects, and to establish an ongoing West Alabama Regional Literacy Council. Rotarian Johnnie Aycock said "This is only a first step," and by this time next year the goal is to have "an ongoing council and staff, to meet the needs in West Alabama."

Rotarians and other participants heard featured presenters John Corcoran and US Congressman Artur Davis (above, left and right), as well as several others, challenge representatives present from an eight-county area in the western part of the state.

Corcoran, who was featured in the current edition of Rotarian Magazine, said he bluffed his way through high school and college without being able to read, and for 17 years was a school teacher. After "living a lie" for 48 years, he determined to learn to read, subsequently writing a book, The Teacher Who Couldn't Read.

Congressman Davis said illiteracy is "a problem that touches everybody." Citing the impact of illiteracy on such social ills as poverty, crime, unemployment, and homelessness, he said "we don't have to be content with these numbers." Commending the Rotary initiative, he said it should "lead to a sense of commitment."

Statistics on illiteracy can be surprising, for it is not just a problem in distant and under-developed countries. Functional illiteracy is a disguised presence in any city of the world. Jackie Wuska Hurt, of the Literacy Council of Birmingham, said "Those of us who can read don't really realize how much we are affected" by the literacy among us.

Commendations for the local program came in the form of a letter from Laura Bush, a former librarian and wife of the President; and in a video greeting from Alabama Governor Bob Riley.

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