The swirling barbershop pole is an iconic staple in many African-American neighborhoods, and for Alvin Irby it perfectly symbolized a community gathering place to empower young black men. For Irby, it was the perfect place to create an impromptu library and encourage reading among kids.“Barbershops are one of the only male-centered environments in many black communities, said Irby, a former elementary charter school teacher. “Right now there are less than 2 percent of teachers are African-American men. So we have a situation where millions of young black boys never see a black male engaging in reading at school. Then unfortunately a majority of black boys are raised by single parent mothers and so they get home and there’s no black males who are reading or encouraging them to read.”Irby is the founder of Barbershop Books, an organization helping young African-American boys boost their reading skills. The group places books in side barbershops, targeting children ages four through eight with titles like Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? And Diary of a Wimpy Kid.Education director for the Boys’ Club of New York, Irby said he was aiming to make reading fun for kids so that…
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