THE LITERARY ACTIVIST
The mission of #TeenWritersProject is being led by literary activist, international high school English teacher, literary commentator and nationally-published, freelance writer, delmetria millener (lowercase intended). She serves as the Founding Director.
Born and raised in Louisiana, millener understands the historical and cultural impact that literacy can have on teens. She grew up with books as her refuge, writing as her release and a mom-librarian who consistently read to her and with her about that history, her history and our history!
To keep her momentum going as a writer, in 1999, delmetria founded words of wisdom writers society, a nonprofit discussion and critique group for adults. Ten years later, she founded Hearts for the Arts, Inc., an organization that taught young writers the business of being a writer. delmetria felt that more than any other demographic, teen writers were missing from bookshelves in schools, and in libraries and bookstores. Wanting to reach more teens and expose them to the power of writing, vocabulary and language, delmetria began teaching high school English in 2012, teaching AP/IB Literature, Language and Composition.
Now, as an international English Language, English Literature, Research and Creative Writing teacher, millener recognizes that teens have become disconnected from the generational pride that reading, writing, social and cultural literacy once fostered. Teens are escaping the powerful inheritances of movements like the Harlem Renaissance, MEChA and the Native American Renaissance, that allowed communities to gain control over the representation of their culture through art, music and literacy.
This disconnection is not without consequence. Over the last 60 years, there has been a systemic decline in literacy, and teens are leading the statistics. This decline in literacy threatens our cultural, professional and social positions. As a solution, through #TeenWritersProject, delmetria intends to take a practical approach to alleviating the problem by using reading and writing to reconnect teens to social, cultural and creative literacy. We want to give them back the responsibility of storytelling that they are obligated to write!
Born and raised in Louisiana, millener understands the historical and cultural impact that literacy can have on teens. She grew up with books as her refuge, writing as her release and a mom-librarian who consistently read to her and with her about that history, her history and our history!
To keep her momentum going as a writer, in 1999, delmetria founded words of wisdom writers society, a nonprofit discussion and critique group for adults. Ten years later, she founded Hearts for the Arts, Inc., an organization that taught young writers the business of being a writer. delmetria felt that more than any other demographic, teen writers were missing from bookshelves in schools, and in libraries and bookstores. Wanting to reach more teens and expose them to the power of writing, vocabulary and language, delmetria began teaching high school English in 2012, teaching AP/IB Literature, Language and Composition.
Now, as an international English Language, English Literature, Research and Creative Writing teacher, millener recognizes that teens have become disconnected from the generational pride that reading, writing, social and cultural literacy once fostered. Teens are escaping the powerful inheritances of movements like the Harlem Renaissance, MEChA and the Native American Renaissance, that allowed communities to gain control over the representation of their culture through art, music and literacy.
This disconnection is not without consequence. Over the last 60 years, there has been a systemic decline in literacy, and teens are leading the statistics. This decline in literacy threatens our cultural, professional and social positions. As a solution, through #TeenWritersProject, delmetria intends to take a practical approach to alleviating the problem by using reading and writing to reconnect teens to social, cultural and creative literacy. We want to give them back the responsibility of storytelling that they are obligated to write!
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Shankrelyn Combs-Walker, Accounts Manager/Treasurer. Bio coming soon!
Jacqueline Jefferson-Bailey, Director of Education/Secretary. Jacqueline is a high school counselor who is passionate about the academic, social and emotional development of the students she serves. As a proud graduate of Grambling State and Prairie View A&M universities, Jacqueline started her career in 2005 as a middle school English teacher. Her passion for literacy in teens has consistently been evident in her professional movement. With only five years in she was recognized by her district as a Master teacher who led her students as a Yearbook Coordinator, Spelling Bee Coordinator, ELAR Department Chair and achieved 95 percent passing rates multiple years in a row. Now, as a counselor, she continues her work with teens that she inspires to become whomever they choose to become and not who they are told to become.
Kathleen Houlihan, Teen Editorial Director. Kathleen is a teen librarian, and is passionate about the ways that teens can transform communities with the power of their voices. Kathleen started her career in 2009 as a Youth Outreach Librarian, providing embedded library workshops and books available to incarcerated teens, and she continues working with teens who inspire her to this day. She is passionate about her role as an amplifier and supporter of teen voices, and aspires to find her own writer's voice one day.
Shunta Spencer, Social Media Director. Spencer is a teacher of secondary Advanced Academics. She loves teaching and is passionate about motivating her students to find their voice. In her classroom, Shunta is patient and clear, and empowers her students to use language as a tool to analyze and communicate effectively. She has been a teacher since 2006 and moved quickly into Advanced Academics which gave her the freedom as a teacher to make accessible to students, content that would replicate the authors, communities and stories of which they are familiar.
Kevin Walker, Director of Marketing. Kevin Walker has over 20 years of experience in the marketing and advertising industry. He has worked on major brands like McDonald’s, AT&T, Coca-Cola Classic, Tyson Foods, and Nokia. For the last 2 years, he served as Multicultural Strategy Director with Team DDB on the U.S. Army recruitment campaign, but now serves as the Head of Consumer and Cultural Insights at CAA Brand Consulting.
In 2006, after noticing a knowledge gap developing for brands who wanted to connect to younger and diverse consumers, he formed his own consultancy called CultureLab. With CultureLab, he was able to bring awareness to the changing demographics among young consumers and the impact of digital media on their habits, and their ways of connecting. Kevin brings a passion for deeper understanding of culture, and specifically the behavior of young diverse consumers.
If you want to know Kevin’s greatest personal passion, it is music! For the last 6 years he has co-hosted an event in Dallas called Bring Your Own Vinyl. The event brings multigenerational and multiethnic people together who are united around the love of vinyl records.
In 2006, after noticing a knowledge gap developing for brands who wanted to connect to younger and diverse consumers, he formed his own consultancy called CultureLab. With CultureLab, he was able to bring awareness to the changing demographics among young consumers and the impact of digital media on their habits, and their ways of connecting. Kevin brings a passion for deeper understanding of culture, and specifically the behavior of young diverse consumers.
If you want to know Kevin’s greatest personal passion, it is music! For the last 6 years he has co-hosted an event in Dallas called Bring Your Own Vinyl. The event brings multigenerational and multiethnic people together who are united around the love of vinyl records.
Stacey Megally, Board Member. Stacey is a writer, runner, and incurable bookworm. Her fiction, creative nonfiction, and editorial work has appeared in Wilderness House Literary Review, The Bookwoman, bookriot.com, The Dallas Morning News, Running Room Magazine, and on stage at the Oral Fixation live storytelling show. She is passionate about championing teen voices through writing and serves as the Dallas Literary Festival Young Writers Contest Editor. Stacey is represented by Wolf Literary Services.
Felicia Pinkney, Board Member. Felicia is a Texas-based, Louisiana-born writer, editor and marketing communications professional. She has a degree in journalism from Dillard University and previously worked as a copy editor and freelance writer at several daily newspapers, including The Times-Picayune; The Dallas Morning News; Arlington Morning News; and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
She is a U.S. Army veteran and currently works as a full-time freelancer. She volunteers her
time as a board member with several nonprofits and is president of the track and field booster club at her daughters’ high school. Felicia is an avid reader and especially enjoys suspense novels.
She is a U.S. Army veteran and currently works as a full-time freelancer. She volunteers her
time as a board member with several nonprofits and is president of the track and field booster club at her daughters’ high school. Felicia is an avid reader and especially enjoys suspense novels.