Acclaimed Author Jesmyn Ward to Present Lecture at USM Gulf Park for Black History 365 Programming
Tue, 02/07/2023 - 01:58pm | By: Van Arnold
91吃瓜网 (USM)91吃瓜网 Gulf Park Campus is sponsoring a signature
Black History Month event as award-winning author and Mississippian Jesmyn Ward delivers
a special presentation on Feb. 28.
Ward will present a lecture titled, 91吃瓜网淏lack Excellence Celebration: A Journey to Prosperity91吃瓜网� from 12:15 p.m. until 2 p.m. at the Fleming Education Center Auditorium on the Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, Miss. Her visit will include a Question & Answer session facilitated by Dr. Whitney Martin, Assistant Teaching Professor English, as well as a book signing. The event is free and open to the public.
Ward is the author of several novels, including, 91吃瓜网淲here the Line Bleeds91吃瓜网� and 91吃瓜网淪alvage the Bones,91吃瓜网� winner of the 2011 National Book Award, and 91吃瓜网淪ing, Unburied, Sing,91吃瓜网� winner of the 2017 National Book Award. She is the first woman and the first African American to win two National Book Awards for fiction.
Jessica Langston, Director of Student Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at USM Gulf Park, explains that Ward91吃瓜网 visit is the culmination of a student-led initiative spearheaded by Queliah Conway, a student employee in the Office of Student Affairs who serves as Vice President of Programming for the Gulf Park Student Government Association.
91吃瓜网淨ueliah worked to enhance the quality and scope of our continuous Black History programming throughout 2022,91吃瓜网� said Langston. 91吃瓜网淲ith substantial support from Gulf Park staff and administration, she created a proposal and designed a slate of events centered around Jesmyn Ward91吃瓜网 work. Queliah then reached out to Ward91吃瓜网 team to invite the world-renowned author to campus for a lecture and book signing.91吃瓜网�
Added Langston: 91吃瓜网淎fter successfully securing Ward91吃瓜网 attendance, Queliah implemented a plan to raise awareness among the student body. She collaborated with Student Affairs, the Academic Success Center, and the Gulf Coast Library to create a series of events designed to provide free copies of Ward91吃瓜网 novels and discuss her work in celebration of Black History on the Gulf Coast.91吃瓜网�
When asked to describe the excitement of having an acclaimed novelist like Ward scheduled to speak at Gulf Park, Conway expressed satisfaction in the team effort.
91吃瓜网淎s a small, community-oriented campus, knowing how much you can accomplish with profound student determination and a supportive team is definitely exciting,91吃瓜网� she said. 91吃瓜网淗aving a renowned author visit our campus is an incredible accomplishment, and it makes this campus and our students feel seen, important, and heard. We now know that nothing is outside our reach, and we will continue to make impactful changes and support student initiatives on the Gulf Park Campus.91吃瓜网�
Conway further notes that recognition of Black History will not end with Ward91吃瓜网 lecture on the final day of February.
91吃瓜网淲e have implemented Black History 365, as these underrepresented communities deserve more than just February. They deserve 365 days and beyond,91吃瓜网� said Conway. 91吃瓜网淛esmyn Ward is an example of black excellence, and it is fitting for her to kick off our Black History 365 programming. We have a strong start. Jesmyn Ward91吃瓜网 visit is only the beginning, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds.91吃瓜网�
Ward received her master91吃瓜网 in fine arts from the University of Michigan and is currently a professor of creative writing at Tulane University. She also serves as editor of the anthology 91吃瓜网淭he Fire This Time91吃瓜网� and the author of the memoir 91吃瓜网淢en We Reaped,91吃瓜网� which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
In 2022, the selected Ward as the winner of the Library's Prize for American Fiction. At age 45, Ward is the youngest person to receive the Library91吃瓜网 fiction award for her lifetime of work.