Providence, RI — June, 2013
Hermano Dr. Rick Quiles and fellow Hermanos
On March 5, 2013, after receiving an email from Susana Beckwidth Rhodes, Executive Director of Reach Out and Read Rhode Island, stating that Hermano Dr. Rick Quiles was recognized by their Board of Trustees to receive the 2013 Medical Champion Prescribe a Book Award, the idea for Tienes Libros started to come to light. The award would be presented to his practice on May 29, 2013 at the Hope Club located at his Alma Mater, Brown University, to a group of 130 generous donors of this evidence based early literacy program. Dr. Quiles was inspired to return their recognition with a surprise, first-ever, Hip Hop Literacy Video for Reach Out and Read. Another motivation to produce this video was to provide an effective way to address the disparity of education for the children of urban communities.
Hermano Dr. Rick Quiles Performs “I Love It When I Read With My Papi” to promote the Tienes Libros Campaign (special appearances by Hermano Victor Capellan, Deputy Superintendent of Central Falls High School, and Hermano Juan Pichardo, Rhode Island State Senator-District 2)
“These are the communities I serve, and the faces that remind me of my childhood and those of my own children today. I wanted to recognize champions of education such as the Mayor of Providence, Mayor of Cranston, Commissioner of Education Gist and the other cameo appearances in this video because they demonstrated that their hearts and actions were true to this mission. Most importantly, I wanted to begin a movement that spread beyond Rhode Island and showcased the many positive examples of fathers committed to children. These were the images that are not highlighted in mainstream media but that I considered were the most beautiful to me especially since my own father was never fully invested in my own education or guidance”, says Hermano Dr. Rick Quiles.
Dr. Quiles remains truly concerned with the disparity of reading and math proficiency in our urban communities nationwide. He believes engaging all family members, especially fathers, is an empowering solution to the disparity of health care through education. To date, there have been over 3,700 views of the video on YouTube and the video has received positive feedback from viewers in Harlem, NYC, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, California, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. Dr. Quiles was also interviewed by Lucia Navarro of CNN Español on July 2, 2013 to discuss his literacy movement and video project. He is a staunch supporter of recommended scheduled childhood vaccines who also realizes the importance of education as quoted in his own bilingual video: “La Vacuna Más Potente Es La Educación”.