Black students with dyslexia all too often carry a heavy burden in our public schools. This documentary centers around a grandmother who fought for years to get her grandkids — particularly her grandson — properly assessed for dyslexia. Like too many African American boys, Geraldine Robinson’s grandson had been erroneously labeled with an “intellectual disability” and deprived of proper reading remediation. Monica Lopez hosts this episode, which first aired in 2021.

Featuring:

• Geraldine Robinson, Oakland matriarch raising her grandkids
• Cheryl Theis, Education Advocate, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
• Megan Potente, Educational Therapist and Co-State Director, Decoding Dyslexia CA
• Kareem Weaver, Oakland NAACP Education Committee

Episode Credits:

• Reporter/Producer: Lee Romney
• Editor: Monica Lopez and Lisa Morehouse
• Engineer: James Rowlands

Making Contact Team:

• Episode Host: Monica Lopez
• Executive Director: Jina Chung
• Engineer: Jeff Emtman
• Digital Media Marketing: Lissa Deonorain

Learn More:

• International Dyslexia Association
• Decoding Dyslexia
• California Dyslexia Guidelines

Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world.