WFP Series Vol. 3: NIA Grant and Queer Literature

Students enrolled in Writing for Publication (Fall 2018) wrote and submitted blog stories related to the department. The fruits of those efforts will be published on our department blog every day during finals week.  The following stories were written by Alldon Thompson. 

Congrats to Dr. Rebecca Dixon, recipient of NIA Grant

Dr. Rebecca Dixon

     Professor Rebecca Dixon received the NIA grant this semester, which allows educators time away from classrooms to focus on scholarship and academic works. It’s the first time it has been offered, so that’s another feat achieved by Professor Dixon.
     Dixon has worked at TSU for 14 years, and she specializes in a variety of subjects including: Post-Colonial, African, Diasporic Literature, and Gender Studies. She also serves as program coordinator for the Women’s Studies Program. The goal of that program is to help students understand  the complexity of gender identities and equality.
      Dixon plans on using her sabbatical to work on a book that covers all of Caryl Philips’ literature. Philips is an award-winning essayist and playwright.
      Congratulations, Professor Dixon, for your amazing achievement. The TSU family wishes you the best of luck on your upcoming book!

Queer African American Literature and Its Communal Teachings for TSU Students

   
     Queer African-American students are demanding inclusiveness, not just for campus life, but for course lessons as well. Some are feeling excluded from campus life, and truthfully, it's not because of their sexual preferences. The issue stalling communal growth is total inclusivity.  
     Jhalen Fears a student attending TSU stated, “When saying community, it’s not just subjected to social/racial injustice. LGBTQIA students want the student body to understand that they’re not accessories used to boost social rankings for organizations, especially after being judged and ignored once their communal goals are reached.” His statement affirms that the unification of all students should be promoted, but it’s pointless if it contradicts the principle of acceptance.
     If students need an escape from those forces, while also learning about themselves then they can turn to Queer African-American literature. Literature and art have always been a great escape for marginalized communities. It allows them the opportunity to express themselves.
      This self-awakening information teaches students the importance of community. Best explained in Mind Your Own Life: The Journey Back to Love by Aaron Anson, “When we allow our egos to wish harm and despair for others, the lapse in our judgment is made apparent. The notion that somehow there is less available for us, because someone else has received something that we desire, has to be banished” (116).
     It’s important to categorize gender expression as a commonality for most students. Reading queer literature can help students better understand what they have in common.  It could be a form of psychological role play for all students. The implication is that it allows experimentation to be a form of self-exploration.
     Fears says, “yes, the tension between queer and hetero students gets catty at times… in part mis-education playing a key role.” He adds, “Incorporating queer literature in part could open a whole new door… all students could learn a little bit more about themselves.”


Alldon Thompson is a sophomore at Tennessee State University. His year of anticipated graduation is in 2021. He is a double major, majoring in Economics and Finance/ Mass Communication. His career plans involve continuing school and obtaining his master’s in Business Economics, eventually working for or starting a Finance Agency.