by Shawn Nowlin
Type in “City of Roanoke, Virginia” in the Google search engine, and among the first things that come up is the municipality either win- ning or being nominated for the All-America City Award for seven consecutive years.
During an invite-only watch party at the Melrose Branch Library on July 21, a few additional honors were awarded to the City of Roanoke. Dressed to the nines, attendees gathered roughly 90 minutes prior to the start of the event to socialize and congregate over a prepared meal.
Through “The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading,” The Star City proudly accepted the pacesetter Award, which honors communities that prioritize grade school reading and success. To improve reading skills throughout the community, Roanoke public libraries have given out more than 10,000 literacy kits.
Sheila Umberger, Roanoke’s Director of Libraries, said, “We are one of just 500 communities within the campaign for grade-level reading. It is really encouraging to know how many communities this will benefit from. In our case, it was giving out kits.”
Themed “Housing as a Platform to Promote Early School Success and Equitable Learning Recovery” this year, the other 19 National Civic League All America City finalists are Alliance, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia; Barberton, Ohio; Chica- go, Illinois; Des Moines, Iowa; El Paso, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles, California; Louisville, Kentucky; New Haven, Connecticut; Omaha, Nebraska; Palacios, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Maine; Sacramento, California; San Antonio, Texas; Springfield, Massachusetts; Suncoast, Florida and Tarpon Springs, Florida. Additional factors considered to be an All-America City include innovation, inclusiveness and diversity, and overall impact. With a population of nearly 100,000, Roanoke is the eighth largest city in the Commonwealth. Jamie Beal is quick to tell non-Star City residents that there is much more to the city than just what meets the eye. While much work needs to be done for Roanoke to reach its full potential, Beal passionately believes that the city is nowhere near as devastating as some pretend.
“I wasn’t born in Virginia, but I have called this community home for most of my life. People often say the City of Roanoke means different things to different people. For me, this is a place where the vast majority of individuals are compassionate and inclusive. Every Roanoke resident, regardless of age, should feel a part of this accomplishment,” he said.
Roanoke’s own Jayveon Tucker, a youth finalist for the All-America City John Parr Youth Award, was recognized during last Thursday’s event. An upcoming senior at Patrick Henry High School, Tucker is a member of the NAACP Youth Council and Youth Services Board. He has trimmed his college list down to four Virginia universities.
“I haven’t yet decided if I want to study political science or education,” he said. “I was elated when I found out I was a finalist for the award. Not only am I able to represent my city in the category but my city is also recognized for being an All-America City too.”
Towards the end of the watch party, City Manager Bob Cowell said, “I want to thank everyone for being here today. The community engagement team did a great job of organizing everything so we could enjoy this evening.”
