Originally created by Dr. Fitz Hill as the Literacy Classic while he was Head Coach of the San Jose State Spartans, the event has moved to Little Rock as the Delta Classic 4 Literacy. The 2009 classic event will be the fourth of an annual series of football games to be played between historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
But the Delta Classic is much more than just a football game. Each year, the game will cap off a full week of Delta Classic events designed to raise awareness about literacy improvement needs in the Delta region of the South and to raise money to fund literacy programs.
Since 2006, $40,000 from the Delta Classic 4 Literacy has been donated to Arkansas Literacy Councils (ALC). The ALC Board of Directors have made grants of $5,000 each to the Chicot County Literacy Council (Lake Village), Literacy Council of Independence County, Ouachita-Calhoun Counties Literacy Council (Camden, also serving Union County), Philips County Literacy Council (Helena/West Helena), Prairie County Literacy Council (Hazen), Randolph County Literacy Council (Pocahontas), and the Woodruff County Literacy Council (Augusta).
As of today, these councils have trained 52 volunteers to become certified adult literacy tutors for 109 adults who are working to improve either their basic literacy or English as a Second Language skills.
Five of these seven councils also are participating in the AmeriCorps National Service program through a grant from the Arkansas Service Commission to Arkansas Literacy Councils. These members are providing a year of service to their councils to assist with much-needed capacity building, recruiting, and tutoring.