Student success is directly linked to literacy. According to the latest data from the Georgia Council on Literacy, 62% of third-graders are not reading on grade level. The findings come as state lawmakers consider the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, which aims to improve literacy through several approaches and strategies.

“Closer Look’s” February installment of “Coffee Conversations was held at The Ke'next Cooperative located in the Westview neighborhood. Host Rose Scott talked with several guests, including children’s book authors. They discussed community-center resources and programs geared toward improving literacy rates in Georgia and read excerpts from children’s books. Guests included:

Kiyomi Rollins, the owner of The Ke’nekt Cooperative

Gayle Hunter Holloman, the executive director of Fulton County Library System

Caroline Ahmann, owner of the Beloved Books Bookmobile

Dr. Nicola Chin, a pediatrician at Morehouse Healthcare and a Reach Out and Read Clinician

Alex Ryan, the founder of Alex in Wonderland, LLC, and the author and creator of “Zina Bina Learns the Value of Money”

Dr. Breanna J. McDaniel, an educator, speaker and author of the book “Go Forth and Tell”

Shelly Anand, an author of “Laxmi’s Mooch”

Reem Faruqi, an award-winning author of “Lailah's Lunchbox”

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A newly published Kindred Futures report examines the intersection of climate resilience and racial wealth equity in Atlanta. The report is titled "A Beloved Community, A Brighter Tomorrow.” The 68-page document breaks down how rising utility costs, extreme heat, flooding and other environmental harms extract wealth from Southwest Atlanta homeowners, renters and business owners. It also outlines collective action steps stakeholders can take to assist Black communities in protecting their assets and reducing vulnerabilities. On today’s Closer Look, we hear from Dr. Alex Camardelle, the vice president of policy and research at Kindred Futures. He shares some of the report’s key findings and policy recommendations.

From 1989 to 1993, Dr. Louis W. Sullivan served as the 17th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President George H.W. Bush. He’s also celebrated for his courageous choice that founded the Morehouse School of Medicine. During a recent visit to his home just outside of Atlanta, Dr. Sullivan sat down for a conversation with Closer Look host Rose Scott. To discuss his legacy and the need for the U.S. to remain curious and engaged with science, education, and public health.

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Atlanta City Councilmember Wayne Martin says there are plenty of nights when he still thinks about what it felt like to go from homelessness to finally having a place to call home. He remembers lying down at night and thinking about all the different beds he slept in as a child, including the time his family lived in hotels before entering a shelter. That lived experience, he says, has shaped every job he’s held and ultimately pushed him to run for office, and now work as a councilmember. On today’s Closer Look, Martin shares what issues he wants to address as the representative for District 11.

Carrollton, Georgia, is quite different from the city of Atlanta, but for newly elected Atlanta councilmember Thomas Worthy, moving from his small southern hometown to Georgia’s capital was pivotal. “I think I am an absolute beneficiary of the opportunity that this city offers.” Worthy calls Atlanta an opportunity machine and says it’s one of the reasons he wanted to serve the city that has given so much to his career and has been a great place for him and his wife and to raise their three children. Worthy represents District 7, which consists mostly of north Atlanta. His main priorities include a check on “basic blocking and tackling” of city services, which include infrastructure and zoning issues. Worthy explained more about what he’s focusing on for his constituents on today’s Closer Look.

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