Jonathan Jasper Wright Institute for the Study of Southern African American History, Culture and Policy
Melissa Pearson is Assistant Professor of English at Claflin University and Director, The Jonathan Jasper Wright Institute for the Study of Southern African American History, Culture and Policy. She received her B.A. in English/Communications from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (1997), and her M.A. in English with specialization in Writing Studies from UIUC as well (2000). She is currently pursing a Ph.D. in English, Rhetoric and Composition with a specialization in African American Rhetoric from The University of South Carolina at Columbia. Her research interests are in Writing Instruction at HBCUs. She has researched in the areas of Service Learning, African American Canonicity, African American Southern Identity, African American popular culture and rhetoric, and trends in teaching and learning composition in the Historically Black College and University and the impact of social and cultural change on the learning environment.
Pearson is also the Executive Director of the South Carolina Council for African American Studies (SCCAAS) where she provides leadership in professional development to assist teachers with the incorporation of African American history in all disciplines, K-12. Pearson relocated to South Carolina from Chicago, Illinois in June 2001 to take a position as an English instructor at Midlands Technical College, and simultaneously accepted a position to teach African American studies part-time at the University of South Carolina. In June 2006, Pearson left Midlands Tech to accept a position with the State Department of Education. She has also taught at Benedict College and Allen University. Pearson is the mother of Justin, 15 and Jordan 13.
Contact:
 Melissa A Pearson
Assistant Professor of English/
Director, Jonathan Jasper Wright Institute for the Study of
Southern African American History, Culture and Policy
400 Magnolia St.
Orangeburg, SC 29115
Phone:803-535-5092
Email: mpearson@claflin.edu
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