Best-selling author, Jason Reynolds, shared about his writing life and award-winning books with hundreds of college students, tweens, teens and fans from across the Midlands during a three-day Visiting Scholar Residency at the College of Education’s Museum of Education from February 20-22. Reynolds' residency kicked off the 2020 Exhibition in the Museum of Education, “An Exploration of Violence in Education.”

 

Recently named the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by The Library of Congress, Reynolds is the author of many books for teens and middle grade readers, including When I Was the Greatest, All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely), As Brave as You, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), Long Way Down, and Look Both Ways. He is a New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award honoree, a Printz Award honoree, a National Book Award finalist, a Kirkus Award winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award winner and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors.

 

Reynolds’ residency included a sold out campus lecture for UofSC students, faculty and staff on Thursday, February 20.  The campus lecture was co-sponsored by the African & African American Studies Program. On Friday, Reynolds spoke to a crowd of over 700 middle and high school students at a local event co-sponsored by the Richland Library and Richland School District 2.

 

Over 10 local schools attended including public, private, alternative, and juvenile justice schools. He then participated in a poetry luncheon with nationally acclaimed poet, Niki Finney and attended by UofSC English, MFA and Maxcy International House students. The luncheon was co-sponsored by Maxcy College. Reynolds concluded Friday with an intimate dinner book discussion of his new book, Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism & You. The book discussion included students and collaborative partners of the College of Education and was co-sponsored by the college's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

 

On Saturday, Reynolds facilitated a half-day writing retreat for local teens from the Soda City Youth Slam and the Columbia Chapter of Jack & Jill of America. The retreat was co-sponsored by the Department of English.

 

The residency was made possible by a UofSC Provost Faculty Grant awarded to Museum of Education Director, Toby S. Jenkins, Ph.D.