Virgia Brocks-Shedd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Virgia Brocks-Shedd
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | June 22, 1943 |
| Died | December 4, 1992 (aged 49) |
| Education |
|
| Occupation | Librarian |
Virgia Brocks-Shedd (born June 22, 1943 – died December 4, 1992) was an amazing American librarian and poet. She led the library at Tougaloo College. She also helped start many groups that worked to make sure African Americans were included and celebrated in libraries. Virgia Brocks-Shedd wrote and shared many poems. She helped many students learn to love reading and literature.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Virgia Lee Brocks was born on June 22, 1943, in Carpenter, Mississippi. When a local sawmill closed, her family moved to a community called Bel Pine. At age thirteen, Virgia became a student at the Piney Woods Country Life School. She lived and studied there until 1961.
While at Jackson State University, she studied with the famous poet Margaret Walker Alexander. Virgia said Margaret Walker was a huge inspiration in her life. Virgia Brocks-Shedd earned her first degree from Jackson State in 1964. The next year, she earned a master's degree in library science from Atlanta University.
A Career Helping Libraries
After finishing her studies, Virgia Brocks-Shedd started working at Tougaloo College. She was an assistant librarian there. She spent most of her career at Tougaloo College. In 1985, she became the director of the college's L. Zenobia Coleman Library.
Throughout her time as a librarian, she shared her love for books and poems. She helped students discover new writers and stories. She also worked hard to make sure more books by African American authors were available in Mississippi libraries.
Making Libraries Fair for Everyone
Virgia Brocks-Shedd was very active in making libraries more welcoming for everyone. She helped to integrate the Mississippi Library Association. This meant working to end segregation in libraries.
She also helped create several important groups:
- The Society of Mississippi Archivists
- The African American Librarians Caucus of Mississippi
- The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (she was a founding member)
In 1989, Virgia Brocks-Shedd was chosen to be on the Mississippi Library Commission Board. She was the first African American person to lead this important board.
Virgia Brocks-Shedd as a Writer
In 1966, while working at Tougaloo, Virgia Brocks-Shedd met the writer Audre Lorde. Audre Lorde encouraged her to share her poems. Virgia started publishing her work in the college's literary magazine, Pound.
She also published many poems and articles in Close-Up, a magazine based in Jackson. She was even the managing editor for Close-Up. Her writings also appeared in the Jackson Advocate and Jackson's Northside Reporter.
Her most famous poem, "Southern Roads/City Pavements," was included in many poetry collections. Another important work was Mississippi Woods, a small book of poems published in 1980. This book also featured poems by other Mississippi poets.
Virgia Brocks-Shedd said her poems were about "how people should treat each other." She also wrote about "love (both physical and mental)." She believed that Black poetry was a great way to share personal feelings and concerns.
Her Lasting Impact
Virgia Brocks-Shedd passed away on December 4, 1992, from pancreatic cancer. Even after her death, her work continued to inspire others.
In 1993, the Piney Woods Country Life School started a special fund in her name. It was called the Virgia Brocks-Shedd Memorial Fund. This fund helps students with scholarships and celebrates achievements in writing.
In 1994, the Black Caucus Roundtable of the Mississippi Library Association created a scholarship in her honor. The Virgia Brocks-Shedd Scholarship helps minority students studying library science at the University of Southern Mississippi.
