About.

This venture was created in the pursuit of creating an information hub to normalize, empower and uplift Black boys and young Black men , transgender, and gender non-conforming youth as they find their voice through literacy.

This site brings together a community approach to gathering knowledge, supporting programming and addressing issues towards increasing Black boys engagement with literacy, from birth to 18.
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Mission

The mission of WE ARE HERE is to increase the appreciation and self-efficacy for literacy among young black males so they embody the type of self-belief and motivation to expand their perspectives about personal, educational and career aspirations.  

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Vision

• Develop a community of young literacy advocates and life long learners
• To build a virtual community of students, parents, guardians, educators, librarians, authors, illustrators, publishers, community advocates, researchers, and policymakers to support collaborative and accessible literacy initiatives empowering Black boys and young Black men.

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About Us

Tiffeni Fontno
​Creator, Educator, Librarian, Literacy & Curriculum Activist and Student

Patrick Oliver
Creator, Literary Activist & Education Consultant

 Tiffeni has worked as a classroom teacher, school librarian and technology teacher. SHe currently works in in higher education, in academic leadership. 
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She taught children's literature in HIgher Education and is an active member in the American Library Association. Fontno earned her doctorate in the Leadership of Organizations program at the University of Dayton's School of Education and Health Sciences.

Tiffeni is from Cleveland, Ohio and loves her hometown.

Patrick is a literary and education consultant for educational institutions, businesses, organizations and individuals throughout the United States. Oliver is founder and development specialist Say It Loud! Readers and Writers which is dedicated to assisting organizations and educational institutions with developing various types of children and youth initiatives.   He is the recipient of numerous community service awards, contracts and grants for literary projects and literacy programs. Oliver’s professional experience includes serving as director of sales and marketing Third World Press (Chicago), program director Open Book Program (Chicago) and senior subcontract administrator in the defense industry (Los Angeles).
Oliver is author of On My Own: Vision Board Guidebook for Young People, contributing participant “Featuring Leaders of Poetry Organizations for Kids from Around the United States” in the publication Open the Door: How to Excite Young People About Poetry; and editor of the Essence Magazine best-selling anthology Turn the Page and You Don’t Stop: Sharing Successful Chapters in Our Lives with Youth.