African American and African Diaspora Studies Department receives NEA Big Read grant

Posted on June 24, 2020

The cover of Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

African American and African Diaspora Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (AADS) is a recipient of a grant of $15,000 to host the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read in Greensboro, NC. An Arts Endowment initiative in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. AADS at UNCG is one of 84 nonprofit organizations selected to receive an NEA Big Read grant to support a community reading program between September 2020 and May 2021. The NEA Big Read in Greensboro will focus on Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, a novel told from the perspectives of the two maturing daughters of a man who is married to two women. Activities will take place September through May 2021. All activities are free and open to all.

Dr. Tara T. Green

“I am pleased to work with Gerald Holmes of UNCG Jackson Libraries to organize programming in support of families in our area. This partnership primarily encourages reading and our panel discussions, book talks, book-related presentations, and other family-oriented activities are designed to give voice to individuals within families and to bring families together,” stated Dr. Tara T. Green, African American literature professor at UNCG. AADS at UNCG is partnering with Greensboro libraries, UNCG’s Jackson libraries, the Arts and Letters Committee of the Greensboro Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum to offer programming for adults to school-aged children.

“We have become even more aware this year of the important ways the arts help us connect with others, and how they bring meaning, joy, and comfort to our lives,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “By bringing the NEA Big Read to Greensboro, the African American and African Diaspora Studies at UNCG will provide opportunities for deep discussion and ways to help us better understand one another.”

The NEA Big Read offers a range of titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation and discovery. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single National Endowment for the Arts Big Read selection.

“We are honored to continue our partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts on this incredible program,” said Torrie Allen, president & CEO of Arts Midwest. “For more than 14 years this national effort has invested in communities as they gather to discuss the stories and ideas that connect us to one another. We are especially inspired by the projects and organizations that are finding new, virtual ways of creating those connections with their communities and are thrilled to support them at this critical time.”

As we are mindful that information about the COVID-19 virus is still a viable threat to our community, therefore, we will host most of our events online. Books will be made available in Greensboro libraries and book discussions will be sponsored by several book clubs. Details about the events, including our kick-off event, art contest, and major speaker, will appear on our website. See https://aads.uncg.edu for details beginning September 1, 2020.

Since 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts has funded more than 1,600 NEA Big Read programs, providing more than $22 million to organizations nationwide. Over the past thirteen years, grantees have leveraged more than $50 million in local funding to support their NEA Big Read programs. More than 5.7 million Americans have attended an NEA Big Read event, approximately 91,000 volunteers have participated at the local level, and 39,000 community organizations have partnered to make NEA Big Read activities possible. For more information about the NEA Big Read, including book and author information, podcasts, and videos, visit arts.gov/neabigread.


AADS is an interdisciplinary program that was formed at UNCG in 1982 and has since focused on bridging academic studies with community engagement. The mission of the African American and African Diaspora Studies program (AADS) at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) is to advance the university’s commitment to promoting diverse perspectives and inclusive learning environments through course offerings, programming, and community engagement. As an academic program located in a city with a history of Black sociopolitical movements, we provide opportunities for interested persons to learn more about the complexities of Black life across African diasporas.


Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.


Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 35 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org.

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