Freebies | Toni R. Settles

"Every child should feel positively represented in the stories that they read."

Toni R. Settles is a philanthropist, educator, literacy advocate, and creatirix. Her early years consisted of relocating frequently, due to her father’s military career. Because of this she learned early how to go with the flow and take life a day at a time.

Toni attended Clark Atlanta University were she volunteered her time at local elementary and middle schools tutoring and mentoring. Toni was the president of The W. E. B. Du Bois Historical Society and spent countless hours avidly reading. She enjoyed learning new things and a good debate! She attended America University’s Washington Semester Program were she traveled abroad to Egypt and Jordan studying Contemporary Islam. In Jordan, she met King Abdullah and at a roundtable with his dignitaries discussed American and Middle East relations. She was even featured on the front page of the Jordan Times!

Toni was inducted into the National Historical Honor’s society in 2008 and graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a Bachelor’s Degree in History in 2009. Upon completion of college, she moved to Washington, D. C. to pursue a career in government. She worked for the Department of Homeland Security in the Custom’s Border Patrol Commissioner’s Office before relocating to Norfolk, Va. There she started a family and ventured into her very first business. Her first business was a vintage retail company. Her vintage retail company evolved into wardrobe styling. She has worked with local and grammy nominated RnB artist on photo and video shoots.

In 2014, she moved back to Washington, D.C., there is were she rediscovered her love for teaching and literacy. She authored her first children’s book that year and also dedicated a year to service, volunteering as an Americorp member. She tutored in low-performing schools in Washington, D.C. and worked toward the noble goal of bridging the literacy gap that exist in American communities. Toni is also an educator and loves the classroom, she has worked as Kindergarten Literacy teacher. Her love for teaching and literacy blossomed to the creation of The Well Read Child book fair, a book fair that aims to close the literacy gap in urban cities. This is achieved by exposing elementary-aged students to the cultural responsive books fostering a love for reading early on.

In addition to Toni’s many achievements, she freelances often as a graphic and website designer. She is the Creative Director for Riventé Cognac and is on the advisory board for The Black Dollar Foundation, an organization committed to transforming disenfranchised communities to thriving epicenters of wealth. Toni spends her summer’s teaching a Junior Entrepreneur Camp were she teachers elementary and middle school students the financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills.

Her hobbies include reading, traveling the world, spending time with her two boys, and herbology. Toni is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist who enjoys practicing the art of healing through foods and herbs.