Support the Black Star Line Literacy Bus

Bringing Books, Hope, and Legacy to Communities

My name is Tia Hamilton, publisher, bookstore owner, and community advocate in East Baltimore. I’m raising funds to expand the reach of Urban Reads Bookstore via a mobile literacy bus and empowerment hub serving underserved communities, justice-impacted youth, and families who’ve been denied access to books.

Inspired by Marcus Garvey’s original Black Star Line and Baltimore’s historic “The City That Reads” campaign, this bus is more than transportation; it’s a transformation. The bus will visit schools, shelters, housing complexes, hospitals, juvenile facilities, and more with one mission: to put books in hands, build bridges through stories, and activate daily reading habits that change lives.

What We Do:

Do a book giveaway for a Baltimore community once a week.

Let youth choose a second book to donate to a juvenile facility, with a handwritten note for a youth.

Host read-alouds, writing workshops, pop-up stations, and pledge stations for families to commit to reading 20 minutes a day.

Distribute literacy kits, reentry resources, and legacy literature from Black authors and justice advocates.

Hire and mentor formerly incarcerated staff and youth ambassadors to lead the movement.

Why We Need Your Help:

Your donation will help us:

Stock the bus with culturally relevant books

Cover fuel, maintenance, and outreach setup

Print pledge cards, badges, and letter-writing kits

Provide stipends for youth leaders and formerly incarcerated contributors

Expand our reach to more neighborhoods, schools, and facilities

Why It Matters:

76% of incarcerated individuals are illiterate. Millions of children in our communities have never owned a book, and too many families are disconnected from the power of daily reading. We’re changing that one stop, one story, one pledge at a time.

This isn’t charity. It’s legacy work. It’s reparative literacy. It’s liberation on wheels.

If you’ve ever believed in the power of a book, a second chance, or a child seeing themselves on a page, this is your moment to give.

Donate. Share. Ride with us.

Have a DOPE Day on Purpose.