The Common Reading Program at NC State is excited to announce the recipients of the 2016 Common Reading Mini-Grant awards. This year’s award recipients truly encompassed the work outlined in the 2016 Common Reading selection, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. With submissions from across campus, the Common Reading Program was able to support four programs totaling approximately $3,000.
From studying the forensics behind wrongful convictions and the historical stigmatization of African American English to a social justice symposium and awareness to activism series, which includes student-focused trips to the Equal Justice Initiative founded by Bryan Stevenson, this year’s award recipients encompass NC State’s spirit of Think & Do.
In addition to focusing on the themes from Just Mercy, these programs encourage students to examine the underlying historical and cultural contexts for the disparities in our criminal justice system and society while including the “real-world” applications of their work.
The program titles and their sponsoring departments/organizations are below (listed in alphabetical order):
- Science and Mercy
Sponsored by: American Chemical Society Student Affiliates (student organization), Alpha Chi Sigma (student organization) - Social Justice in our Communities
Sponsored by: College of Education - Talking Black in America: Race, Language, and Getting Close
Sponsored by: Language Diversity Ambassadors (student organization) - The Move from Awareness to Activism – A North Carolina Focus
Sponsored by: African American Cultural Center, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Natural Resources, University Honors Program, and University Scholars Program
The Common Reading Program would like to thank Dr. Eileen Taylor, associate professor in the Poole College of Management and 2016 Common Reading Committee chair, for her invaluable leadership in bringing the Mini-Grant program to life and in the selection of the award recipients. The Common Reading Program also thanks the members of the selection committee for their time and dedication in the selection process.