Genius Grant recipient Kiese Laymon to bring program to Jackson State University
Kiese Laymon, the internationally acclaimed writer, is giving back to his hometown of Jackson to bring theCatherine Coleman Literary Arts, Food and Justice Initiative to Jackson State University.
Originally founded at the University of Mississippi while Laymon was on the faculty there, the Coleman Program, beginning in 2023 is now at JSU.
The program will provide avenues for emerging writers throughout the state and in the city of Jackson to engage the legacy of creative writing in Mississippi, the tradition of southern foodways and the history of social justice movements in their communities.
Now a professor at Rice University, Laymon is the author of three full-length books and was recently awarded a “Genius Grant” from the MacArthur Fellows Program.
He will use that grant to fund the program at Jackson State.
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“It is no surprise to me that as he has come to this international acclaim, that he wants to give back to Jackson and to Jackson State University,” said Dr. Robert Luckett, director of the Margaret Walker Center. “He has always seen Jackson as home. He was literally raised on campus with a mother who worked here, and he was mentored by Margaret Walker, for whom our center is named.”
Laymon’s mother has been associated with Jackson State University for decades as a member of the Political Science Department.
“We are really so excited and happy about the recognition Laymon has with the MacArthur, but for some time, I have been able to call him a friend and to work with him on various types of projects,” Luckett said.
The Margaret Walker Center will be the permanent residence of the Catherine Coleman Literary Arts, Food and Justice Initiative, named for Laymon’s grandmother.
“We are moving the Initiative to the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State,” Laymon said in a statement. “My grandmama sent all her daughters to Jackson State. This initiative will continue to help young folks in Jackson become the next Danielle Buckingham or Leslie McLemore Jr., two of the greatest young artists in Mississippi.”
Through the initiative, the writing seminars and programming will help students hone their skills as readers and writers while learning the techniques of revision essential in expressing their voices through the written word, Luckett said.
“This program … is going to give us an opportunity to build a legacy around continuing to mentor and give back to young people,” Luckett said. “Thanks to Kiese, himself, we will have a platform to create a program that really serves these young people and helps to build their creativity, their intellectual capacity, as well as their sense of place and self.”
Laymon is a graduate of St. Joseph Catholic School. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Oberlin College and his Master’s in Fine Arts at Indiana University. He also attended Jackson State and Millsaps College.
Laymon said he will match up to $50,000 in donations to the program for the next month.
People may make a tax-deductible donation to the Coleman Program by visiting the JSU Development Foundation website and selecting the Catherine Coleman Fund under “General Designation.”
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Genius Grant recipient Kiese Laymon to bring program to Jackson State
