Press Release

Education is a Right, Not a Privilege
Black History Month: Celebrity Author Jasmine Guy
Records Book for African American Studies Collection
at Nonprofit Library for Blind, Dyslexic

February 21, 2004 (Los Angeles, CA) In honor of Black History Month, renowned actress and author Jasmine Guy has recorded an accessible version of her new book, Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary for the African American Studies collection at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D).

RFB&D, a nonprofit organization, is the nation's educational library for students of all ages with disabilities that make reading standard textbooks difficult or impossible. Ms. Guy and celebrity friends spent Saturday in specially outfitted recording booths at RFB&D's Los Angeles Unit on Hollywood Boulevard to bring the book to life as an RFB&D AudioPlus book on CD.

Ms. Guy is a longtime supporter of RFB&D and its mission to create opportunities for individual success by providing, and promoting, accessible educational materials. She has received critical acclaim for her book that is the culmination of years of interviews and conversation with Afeni Shakur, former Black Panther and mother of the late rap megastar, Tupac Shakur.

"As an actress and an author, Jasmine understands the influence of the printed page and the power, knowledge and creativity it can unleash. We are tremendously grateful for her continued efforts to help students who are blind or visually impaired reach their educational potential," said Morgan Roth, RFB&D's Vice President for Public Affairs. "Jasmine's biography of Afeni Shakur is a tremendous addition to our library of educational materials, not only for students of African American history and culture, but also for anyone with an interest in contemporary American social and political movements."

RFB&D serves 127,000 students nationwide with a one-of-a-kind collection of 98,000 recorded titles in every subject area and grade level. A recent study by Johns Hopkins University shows that using RFB&D's textbooks increased reading skills among students with cognitive disabilities by 38%. Currently, RFB&D offers more than 2,000 adult and juvenile African American titles in its CV Starr Learning Through Listening® Library housed in Princeton, New Jersey.

EDITORS NOTE: High resolution photos and VNR available upon request by calling Diane Kelber at 323-664-5525 #9 or 818-383-6165. MNR available for viewing at PRNEWS.