Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Easley.
Michelle, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My motivation for writing about the topics of diversity and empowerment are intensely personal. My father was a member of the Atlanta Student Movement. He sat in at the lunch counters of F.W. Woolworth and H. L. Green in downtown Atlanta in 1960. He picketed in front of the Rich’s department store while a student at Clark College in 1960. After graduating from college, he became a public educator in the Atlanta Public School System. He shared stories with me about how he helped to integrate the school system. He was a member of the first, mass transfer which meant he was required to go teach at an all-white school. He was in a small group of African American teachers who integrated E. L. Connally Elementary School in 1970. My mother, Deana Usher (Easley) was the first African American Spanish teacher at Sylvan Hills High School in Atlanta in 1970. As a result of my parents’ commitment to equal rights, I grew up very aware.
Early in my career, I worked as a teacher in a public school system. I worked in schools where I watched young ladies struggle. They did not make wise decisions; some failed academically. Later in my career, I had the opportunity to visit schools across the United States. I could not help but notice that in some schools, I never saw people of color reflected in images on the walls or in the books in the school library. As a result, I felt I had to do something to change these situations. I started to write about them. I used my words to call others to action and gave them practical strategies for what they could do make a real difference from starting their own mentoring groups to lining bookshelves with books about diverse people. For me, writing is a calling I have to help make the world a better place. I have always been intrigued by the power of words. They have the power to inspire, empower, and encourage others. I enjoyed writing from a very young age. I journaled as a kid. I never stopped writing, but it wasn’t until much later in life that I realized writing could inspire others to act in positive ways.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My art is words. I hope that my words encourage and inspire people. I write to move people to create a world that might one day be free from poverty, racism, and oppression. My words are tools of empowerment, urging, and pushing everyday people to make changes. For example, I wrote a book, Increase Diversity in Your School Library Collection and Program. Diversity is of utmost importance everywhere, particularly in schools. Imagine you are a seven-year-old kid; maybe you are a seven-year-old Hispanic male or African American female, or you are in a wheelchair, or blind or from Japan. You find yourself visiting the library with your class on a weekly basis. You look for a book to read, but you notice that none of the books have characters in them that look like you or are written by authors that look like you. When children can see themselves in books or look around and see people that look like them on the walls of their schools, it lets them know they are valued. A learning environment that embraces diversity has a substantial impact on kids. I use written and spoken words to encourage schools across the country to be intentional and create climates that welcome and accept everyone, regardless of their differences. I have written about the unintentional perpetuation of stereotypes on the Knowledge Quest Blog of the American Association of School Librarians.
Early in my career in public education, I worked as a teacher. I have also written a guide to help others create mentoring groups for girls that will empower girls to reach their full, God-given potential. The Making of GEMMS (Gifted Elegant Magnificent Motivated Sisters): A Guide to Mentoring was a book I co-authored with my mother, Deana Easley. We wrote the book based on firsthand experiences we had mentoring girls. We were working with a group of young ladies when we realized that most of them weren’t just acting out for the sake of being difficult many of them had not been exposed to any positive female role models or love for that matter. They were growing up in situations of extreme poverty and sheer hopelessness. We wanted to spread the love of Jesus Christ and let the girls know that their possibilities are limitless if they have the right attitude and preparation.
The Making of GEMMS provides guidance on life issues and spiritual challenges by empowering and equipping girls to make healthy, positive choices that glorify God. It is a guide to mentoring girls, tweens, teens, and young adults. This book shares the love of God and promotes spiritual growth and increased self-esteem. It is designed to equip the reader to work with individuals, small groups, or large groups.
I really hope that I positively impact people with my words! If someone reads a book I wrote or a blog post and feel as though they can do something, even something small to make a positive change in the world, then I’m happy. I want people to own their power! It doesn’t take a load of money or time to change someone’s life for the better. A single word, a simple act of encouragement, can make all the difference.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
I would encourage any writer to join a local writing group. These groups offer you an opportunity to connect with other writers and hone your craft. Local meetups are an excellent way to make this connection, as well as attending writing conferences.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can find my work at www.michelleeasley.com or Amazon [https://amzn.to/2JsDCPb] I also blog for the American Association of Librarians. You can find my post there monthly on the Knowledge Quest blog https://knowledgequest.
Contact Info:
- Address: P.O. Box 43811 Atlanta, Georgia 30336
- Website: www.michelleeasley.com
- Email: info@michelleeasley.com
- Twitter: @meeasleyme
- Other: https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/author/measley
Image Credit:
Michelle Easley
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