School librarians are natural partners in the effort to improve the education, social and employment outcomes of black males. School librarians in Durham, N.C., have been working to close the literacy gap for black males. One of the literacy initiatives centered on the work of Alfred W. Tatum who believes that efforts to engage black males in reading have failed because they lack meaningful texts that promote a healthy psyche, reflect an awareness of the real world, focus on the collective struggle of African-Americans, and serve as a road map for being, doing, thinking, and acting. (Contains 1 figure.)