In summer 2002, teachers from Jackson Public School District and select schools from surrounding counties, participated in the Literary Legacy Teaching Institute sponsored by the Margaret Walker Alexander National Research Center at Jackson State University. Teachers with a strong interest in exploring the writings of Margaret Walker Alexander and Eudora Welty were invited to apply. The teaching of the literature by the authors was enhanced through the use of primary sources from archival collections at Jackson State University, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and other local resources. The purpose of the Institute was to foster a sense of community between Mississippi writers and inner city high school teachers and students.

The Literary Legacy Teaching Institute was funded by the Margaret Walker Alexander Research Center, Jackson State University with support from the Mississippi Humanities Council.

The following participants submitted lesson plans as a part of the Institute. Please click on the participant’s name to view individual lesson plans.