The day was their way of participating in the annual African-American Read-In under the umbrella of the National Council of Teachers of English.

“It’s important to read diverse literature,” Kizer said. “Literature with characters that are not like us.”

She has a quote on her door, “Books should be both windows and doors.”

She asked the students what it meant to them.

Madison Pommer, 12, a seventh-grade student, had an answer.

“You can see other people, but you can see yourself, too,” she said.

The group listened to a reading of “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

“It has extra meaning,” Kizer said. “He was talking about situations where he has to wear a mask.”

Another poem they studied was “Harlem” by Langston Hughes written in 1951.

Pommer offered her interpretation of the work.

“He talks about a dream that he wanted to do,” she said. “But he couldn’t. He’s hurt that he couldn’t.”

After listening to and reading several more works, student Josie Novencido, 12, thought she would like to explore the writings of African-American writers further. Pommer shared her sentiment.

“They sounded like good books,” Pommer said.

Among the projects the after school club is working on is a group novel. Club members plan on including an African-American character in the book.