The following is a
press release from Grambling State University.
The HBCU Book Challenge began as an
effort by Grambling State University’s Psychology and Sociology Clubmembers to
bring more reading materials to inmates in Louisiana. After seeing a small
prison library with a shortage of books, club members were inspired to organize
a book drive last spring that collected 225 books for the inmates at Richwood
Correctional Center in Monroe.
“This adventure got started when we
were trying to look for more ideas inside the club,” Psychology and
Sociology Club President Jack Chandler said. “A lot of the guys said let’s go
to a prison. When we were at the prison at Richwood, Dr. (Matt) Sheptoski
noticed the lack of materials, and said we’ve got our next project.”
Fueled by the success of their first book drive, the
Psychology and Sociology Club members were inspired to hold a second book
drive, while simultaneously challenging other Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs) around the country to do the same.
The second book drive raised nearly
10 times the amount of the first drive, a total of 2,167 books collected from
the students, employee and community members at Grambling, along with
a generous donation from Lincoln Parish Library in Ruston.
Three other HBCUs took the
challenge: Alabama State University, Alcorn State University and Savannah
State University. Altogether, the four universities collected more than 4,500
books for prison libraries in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
GSU club members delivered the first of the donated books to Caddo Correctional Center in Shreveport on Dec. 1.
GSU club members delivered the first of the donated books to Caddo Correctional Center in Shreveport on Dec. 1.
“Some of these inmates are very smart, and bringing in books
is good for them,” said Sgt. Robert Montoya, who has worked at Caddo
Correctional Center for 17 years.
The students also toured the correctional
facility, which gave them the opportunity to see the library where the
softcover books can be checked out by inmates, as well as the program facility
where instructors and tutors will use the donated textbooks to teach inmates.
“Seeing the books properly placed inside the prison library
among other books was very rewarding. Seeing the accomplishment of the club and
the different community leaders come to life felt rewarding, because we have
people inside the prison who are going to tutor other prisoners. You never know
what reading level someone is at, so I am glad we have a variety of books where
people can grow their reading skills,” Chandler said.
For Matt Sheptoski, the faculty advisor of the Psychology
and Sociology Club, the most rewarding part of the day was being thanked by an
inmate in the prison library.
“There was actually an inmate working in the prison library,
and he said to us that the books that we donated will specifically be useful in
what he does. He teaches social studies, so it was nice to hear from an actual
inmate who said this is meaningful, this is helpful, and he just wanted to
thank us,” said Sheptoski, who wanted to thank everyone who participated in the
HBCU Book Challenge.
Cheré Dastugue Coen is
the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris
Bags and Sachets.” She
also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire, “A
Cajun Dream” and “The
Letter.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.
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