LLP Award Winning Faculty!

Hello and welcome back Fellow Tigers!

            My name is Alexis Brooks, and I am back again as the social media intern for the LLP department. I hope that everyone enjoyed their summer and is having a good start to the Fall 2016 semester. We would like to congratulate the football with their two victories against Jackson State University, and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff! Of course there have been a few events on campus already, but there are much more to come. Be sure to come out to the screening of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls whohave considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf on Friday September 23 in the LRC (student success center) auditorium.

            This week we would like to highlight our Full-Time Temporary Teacher of the Year Prof. Marsha Williams. I had a chance to sit down and talk to her about her initial reaction to finding out that she won, where she attended school, and what she enjoys doing in her spare time. Professor Williams was not alone in winning in our department. Dr. Michelle J. Pinkard won the award for Tenure Track Teacher of the Year.

Prof. Marsha Williams Leads Poetry Workshop

A few things that I found out about Prof. Williams is that she received her undergraduate degree at Berkley College of Music and finished her graduate studies in English here at TSU. She has written and published songs for major recording artists; she also enjoys singing, playing the guitar and writing songs. The songs that are written by Prof. Williams are “green songs”, which talk about environmental advocacy, and she also incorporates her desire for environmental activism into the classroom. She has students that were affected by the Flint Water Crisis, Saudi Arabia water shortage and other issues in her class, and they are encouraged to write about what’s going on around them. 

When I asked Prof. Williams “What is one issue that’s going on environmentally that you would change and why?” Her response was: “Pipeline industry. It is preying on the communities across the United States. The pipeline industry transports fracked gas to the Gulf of Mexico for export. There is no benefit for Americans, and it put citizens in danger, the government needs to bring the companies in and get a handle on it. “

I enjoyed my time with Professor Williams and I look forward to her event that she has called the “Green Cabaret,” which centered on environmental advocacy through spoken word, songs, presentations and much more. Please check our Facebook page to see the talented Professor Williams sing one of her green songs and also to see some great artwork from her students.

Sincerely

AB