GRAMMY® Nominees Pierce Freelon, Rissi Palmer Join Orange Literacy’s Writers for Readers Event
CARRBORO, NC, April 7, 2022—At 4 P.M. on May 15, 2022, at the Forest Theater, Orange Literacy’s spring fundraiser “Writers for Readers” returns with GRAMMY®-nominated musician, writer and community advocate Pierce Freelon. Pierce and his band will be joined on stage by country music singer Rissi Palmer, who
was also nominated for a GRAMMY this year.
In addition to musical performances, Freelon will be reading from his first children’s book, “Daddy-Daughter Day” (Little, Brown, May 2022). Orange Literacy will be distributing free copies of the book to the younger audience members.
Durham, N.C.,-native Freelon has traveled the world teaching Hip Hop and music production as co-creator of Beat Making Lab, an Emmy Award-winning PBS web-series. He is the writer, composer and co-director of the animated series History of White People in America, an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival. He is also the founder of Blackspace, an Afrofuturism digital maker space for Durham youth. His album “Black to the Future” was nominated for Best Children’s Music Album GRAMMY.
"Music and reading are two of my favorite things - they both ignite my imagination and were a huge part of my childhood,” Freelon said. “I'm delighted to share my book and the song that inspired it!"
Freelon will be joined onstage with Durham-based country music singer Rissi Palmer. Palmer has performed at the White House, New York's Lincoln Center and the Grand Ole Opry. She has toured extensively and made numerous national television appearances. Palmer is one of 26 Black family artists in the 1 Tribe Collective, whose “All One Tribe” album also received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Children’s Music Album.
“I’m very excited to take part in an event that amplifies the importance of literacy. Reading was an escape for me as a child and helped me become the writer and dreamer I am today,” Palmer said.
The event is free to the public. Registration is required. Sponsorships to support the event and the work of Orange Literacy are still available.
Orange Literacy is a non-profit organization that relies on donations and grants to sustain their operations and offer classes for free. Orange Literacy has offered instruction to adults who live and work in the county for more than 35 years. The organization offers free classes for adults in reading and math, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), digital literacy, GED preparation, U.S. citizenship and family literacy. For more information on Orange Literacy’s work, visit orangeliteracy.org.
# # #