Seen AND Heard
​Preparing Young Creatives to Become Leaders
Who Bring Positive Change to Mississippi
Challenging the “seen and not heard” ideology that undermines young people, this program encourages self-advocacy through literacy among young Mississippians. The MLP partners with Mississippi schools, churches, and other organizations to recruit youth of various backgrounds, from early childhood education to middle school.
Let's See AND Hear our youth in Mississippi!
They have something to say.
Click on the link to our young members' blog below!
July 21, 2022: Brookhaven, Mississippi youth stirred up some “Good Trouble”! Shout out to the Boys and Girls Club of Lincoln County for partnering with The Magnolia Literacy Project (MLP) for our Seen AND Heard Reading Club! Twenty-four youth gathered to read and discuss Andrea Davis Pinkney’s book: Because of You, John Lewis — a story about the civil rights icon’s friendship with one of his young supporters, Tybre Faw. The book captures Faw’s inspiration to become a leader because of Congressman Lewis’ influence. Pinkney compares Faw to Lewis, whose leadership was inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and W.E.B. Dubois. The workshop focused on reading comprehension concepts such as theme, metaphor, visualization, text-to-self connection, and text-to-world connection.
June 17, 2022: At a Juneteenth Youth Workshop (Sponsored by the Magnolia Literacy Project and the Brookhaven/Lincoln County Boys and Girls Club), students learned about the Emancipation Proclamation; Black Americans’ delayed freedom in Galveston, TX; the significance of years 1863, 1865, & 2021; symbolism of the Juneteenth flag; and cultural practices surrounding the federal holiday. Mrs. Ada Pearl Black reinforced history lessons with a story-telling segment about her great grandfather, who was born into slavery. She told the youth, “He was a little kid, just like all of you, in Richmond, VA, where he spent his childhood in slavery. By the time President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, he was grown. Being here celebrating Juneteenth with all of you is special to me because I’m also celebrating him.” The event included a video, interactive activities, and refreshments.
April 2022: Celebrating National Poetry Month
The Magnolia Literacy Project Sponsored Poetry Writing Workshops in Brookhaven and Jackson.
April 23 and 30: Students in Brookhaven were engaged in a poetry writing workshop at the Brookhaven/Lincoln County Public Library.
April 28: Students at Blackburn Laboratory Middle School, a Jackson Public School, attended a two-part event, a video watch party followed by a poetry writing workshop.
"The poetry of a people comes from the deep recesses of the unconscious, the irrational and the collective body of our ancestral memories."
-Margaret Walker
​2022 Black History Month Youth Reading Spotlight
Theme: "Young, Black, and Powerful"
Six students at Blackburn Laboratory Middle School in Jackson, Mississippi participated in The Magnolia Literacy Project’s 2022 Black History Month Youth Reading Spotlight/Videography Series.
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The theme was: "Young, Black, and Powerful".
The sixth, seventh, and eighth graders delivered presentations honoring young African Americans who are shaping history in the fields of business, finance, sports, entertainment, research and writing, art, and engineering.
Youth readers delivered brief presentations on Amanda Gorman, Marsai Martin, Allyson Felix, Misty Copeland, Angie Thomas, LaMonte Pierce, Malcom Mitchell, & Tony Weaver.
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Jackson State University students, Ghabriel Mossop and Elesia Murphy, served as narrators for the project.
Videographer: Natalie Dickens, Junior at Jackson State University (Mass Communications Major)