CLEVELAND, Ohio — More than half of the people who call Cuyahoga County home cannot read at the highest proficiency levels, according to the Literacy Cooperative of Greater Cleveland.
The group says that staggering number is concerning, not just because people struggle with school or securing jobs, but data shows not being proficient in reading can negatively impact people's health.
Low literacy rates also reportedly cost businesses and taxpayers in the U.S. $20 billion every year.
The literacy rate in Cleveland is even more concerning, with 66% of residents unable to read according to Seeds of Literacy.
In our commitment to follow through on topics that matter to you, News 5 anchor Mike Brookbank checked back in with a Cleveland woman who got a big financial boost to tackle low literacy levels in her community.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
Dawn Arrington is constantly on the move.
"People know me as the crazy comic book lady," said Arrington.
She stops by popular locations in her Buckeye neighborhood to drop off free comic books as part of her Comics at the Corner campaign.
"This isn't my full-time job, but it is definitely my full-time passion," said Arrington.
A passion that runs deep.
"I love comic books. I learned how to read reading the funnies on Sunday morning," said Arrington.
We first introduced you to Arrington back in 2018, when she turned to crowdfunding to get her vision for tackling low literacy rates in Cleveland’s Buckeye community off the ground.
"Somewhere between 80-90% of the folks are not reading above like a second to fourth-grade level," said Arrington.
Arrington hopes to create that spark and ignite a love of reading through representation.
She is intentional about the comics she selects.
"About 90-95% of the comics that we receive generally have people of color on the covers or are featured very prominently in the storyline," said Arrington.
So far, Arrington has distributed thousands of comic books to her neighbors.
"I think she's really cool because every kid deserves to learn,” said Dream Harrison, comic book recipient.
Our camera captured the appreciation and excitement at a Halloween night distribution.
"Giving out comic books I think it's pretty lucky for those kids who don't have any,” said Maggie Martinez, Buckeye resident.
Even young people, like Deliangelys Diaz, who said they don't really like reading were singing a new tune.
"This looks cool, so I might read this," said Diaz.
Ashley Hatcher said that's exactly why something like Comics at the Corner is needed, because it will help children get back to something she said has been lost.
"It gets them more into reading, wanting to read, and help them achieve higher goals with something so simple," said Hatcher.
In our commitment to follow through on programs like this, we wanted to check in on Arrington’s progress, and she had a big development for us.
“So, this past summer, I was awarded $30,000 through Cuyahoga County Council's ARPA funds," said Arrington.
A big financial boost that Arrington was not expecting, but the impact of her work inspired county leaders.
"I did my presentation and more council members started adding money on and it like snowballed from $10,000 to $30,000," said Arrington.
So far, about 6,000 comic books have landed in the hands of her neighbors, and with additional funds, that number will only continue to grow.
"People come in and they start going through the books and they're like, their faces light up, so there's something you know activating about seeing the comic books in and of themselves," said Arrington.
