Prairie View A&M University students, particularly English majors, are in for a treat.
Literary lovers can expect an annual writing-in-residence opportunity appropriately named the Toni Morrison Writing Program on campus at the Texas HBCU. The writing program is set to give students an invaluable experience to learn from the nation's top writers as they prepare for graduation.
The program is due to a $50 million gift made in October by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, a former student of Toni Morrison. The late author was one of the most celebrated writers in American history.
Morrison was also a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C. The legendary author went on to be the Robert F. Goheen professor of creative writing at Princeton University, where Scott was a student.
As Blavity previously reported, Morrison was the first Black woman to do two things: become an editor at Random House and win the Nobel Prize for Literature. She is also known for her classic novels including The Bluest Eye and Beloved.
Aside from the writing program, PVAMU officials have said that they plan to use Scott's generous donation for things like setting $10 million aside toward an emergency fund for juniors and seniors with outstanding education and payment balances because of economic problems linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
The majority of the remaining funds, however, will go toward growing PVAMU’s endowment from $95 to almost $130 million.
According to PR Newswire, PVAMU designated $3 million to establish the Toni Morrison Writing Program.
The opportunity for PVAMU students will include public readings of Morrison's written work and that of other notable writers. Participants will shed light on the importance of writing and Black writers' legacy while highlighting HBCU alums.
University President Ruth J. Simmons announced the news on March 19.
PVAMU Provost Emerita Joahanne Thomas-Smith, Ed.D. oversees the Toni Morrison Writing Program and has decades of higher education experience. Beforehand, she served as the university's honors program leader and the department of English and languages.
"Faculty and staff of both the University and area high schools will share in the activities of the program and benefit from the writer-in-residence and other artists representing the full range of literary genres," Thomas-Smith said.
The Toni Morrison Writing Program will be spreading the love to high school students, too.
It will sponsor a high school writing contest where the lucky winner will participate in the Black college experience and receive a college scholarship.
