Ode to Curtis Jones

Since 2015, I have been learning about the story of Curtis Jones, one of the top basketball players in the city of Detroit. He was called "The Magician" for his skill and overall talent on the basketball court at Northwestern High School, St. Cecilia's Gym and other locations around town. From what I have read, he had, as it would be called nowadays, a Playground style of playing basketball. He made the winning shot of the first televised High School basketball game in the city against Pershing High School. Many people of a certain age remember him fondly. His story is intriguing, because it was revealed that he was illiterate, he couldn't read and write. He was passed through school, even Special Education at that time did not help. After graduating from Northwestern, he was shipped off to North Idaho Junior College for a year and a half. (Here is the 1969 Driftwood yearbook from NIJC. He is featured with the basketball team, Freshman class, Boys' dorm and a few candids). In early 1970, after a few separate incidences, some people on campus found out he was illiterate, and many on campus made light of his situation, so much that he had a nervous breakdown and returned home to Detroit, where he lived with his mother while receiving treatment at Northville Psychiatric Hospital for Schizophrenia. In the Early 1980s (two separate links here), he filed a $15 Million dollar lawsuit against Detroit Public Schools, North Idaho Junior College and the University of Michigan for failure to educate and other charges. He lost the lawsuit a few years later. He would walk around town, showing his basketball skills to young people he encountered on basketball courts and playgrounds around the city. He died from Pneumonia in Detroit in March 1999. One of the articles that I found interesting from his life was from September 1990, Labor Day weekend: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. A documentary was produced on his life in 2015, and released in 2016. I had never heard of his story until it was announced in March 2015 that the documentary would be made. It is fascinating to hear about what happened. I know that there are laws in place nowadays here in Michigan and across the country that say that if a child cannot read by the time they are in at least third grade, they are to be held back until they can, or receive extra help in reading. There was a program in Detroit, "Reading Corps" that helped kids read, but I am not sure if that is still running or not. What are some programs near you that help kids and adults learn to read and write?