This paper sets out to show that the concept of literacy is evolving and its conventional definition, "reading and writing," is no longer adequate. Literacy is now subjected to constant redefinition to reflect criteria for social, political, religious, and economic relevance and expectations. The definition must be reframed to capture the complexity of the modern world and to remain linked to individual empowerment in a democratic and dynamic society where minorities such as African Americans, disproportionately represented among the functionally illiterate, are handicapped and cannot fully engage in meaningful political and economic exchanges that speak to their self-interest.