When and where: Friday night at the Repair the World headquarters in East Liberty

#ReadBetweenTheLines: Repair the World: Pittsburgh held its annual Shabbat-style dinner in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., this year with a focus on racial disparities in children’s literacy. This free event welcomed people from all ages and backgrounds to break bread together and discuss the topic of educational justice as it pertains to child literacy. “This is a form of resistance,” said Zack Block, executive director. “We want people to become activated and serve in their community to help make positive changes on the micro level. This conversation tonight is just one example of that.”

#DidYouKnow: At what age does a child first recognize differences in skin color? The answer may surprise you. At only 6 months, children can begin to differentiate skin tones. This was brought to everyone’s attention by Aisha White, director of the P.R.I.D.E. Project, as she discussed the way racism impacts children from a very early age. But it’s not enough to bring awareness. The hope is that after the event guests will sign up for volunteer opportunities such as mentoring or working with organizations like Reading is Fundamental Pittsburgh. “I wanted to come to this event, because as an educator, it was important for me to reignite the passion for helping my students move beyond the barriers,” said Ryan Canty. To learn more visit werepair.org/.

#SEEN: Graham Mulqueen, Naomi Morris, Skip and Mary Grinberg, Tao Flaherty, Christan Moore, Becca Sufrin, Lianne Sufrin, Candace Hall, Phyllis Nettles, Sam Applefield, Jackie Page-Heidelberg, Heather Marra and Alex Auyeung.

First Published: January 22, 2018, 11:00 a.m.