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Teague Chairs AAMU’s Department of English and Foreign Languages

Dr. Charlotte Teague
November 11, 2023

Teague Represents AAMU at Premier Gathering of Black Women Literary Scholars

For scholars from far and near, all roads led to Jackson, Mississippi, November 1st-3rd, to celebrate Phyllis Wheatley, Margaret Walker, and other leading Black women writers, and Dr. Charlotte Teague, associate professor and chairperson of AAMU’s English and Foreign Languages, was among them.

In 1973, famous poet and author, Margaret Walker, who is most widely known for her poem, “For My People,” and her acclaimed novel, Jubilee, established the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival at Jackson State University to celebrate Wheatley and the legacy of her writings. 

This year was the 50th anniversary and reconvening of the Phyllis Wheatley Poetry Festival, and many of the original attendees were present as co-chairs, including Sonya Sanchez, Paula Giddings, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, and Alice Walker, who was also the keynote speaker.

In addition, a new generation of prominent writers, including Angie Thomas, Imani Perry, Jesmyn Ward, and Nikole Hannah-Jones also headlined the event.

“I was honored to have been invited to chair a panel on sisterhood and mentorship in the academy of  Black women writers. My acceptance letter noted that my ‘proposal stood out in a pool of incredible proposals,’ which is not only an honor for me, but for Alabama A&M as well,” adds Teague.

Teague also presented her work, “Breaking Up Fallow Ground: Sowing Seeds of Mentorship and Kinship to create Social, Academic, and Political Community for Black Women Writers.”

“It explores why mentorship and kinship are central to the growth and nurturing of Black women writers and how Black women must be the architects of intentional mentorship and kinship communities that foster direction, leadership, knowledge, coaching, motivation, and support for one another to navigate often resistant social, academic, and political terrains,” says Teague. “In other words, Black women must break up the fallow ground of racism, sexism, colorism, ageism, etc., and they must sow the trusted seeds of mentorship and kinship which will continue to produce a harvest of an influential sisterhood of empowered Black women writers.”

Specializing in Black women writers and professional writing (creative, media, and technical), Teague earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees at AAMU, an additional masters from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and her doctorate from Morgan State University. She has been teaching English at Alabama A&M University for more than 18 years.

More: https://www.jsums.edu/philliswheatley/

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