Donate Here and write “Dorothy Strickland Scholarship.”
Dorothy Strickland was the first African American president of International Literacy Association when she served the organization in the 1970s, a time when the field was largely dominated by white men, and she did not take this position lightly. Along with her many contributions to the field, she served as an inspiration for countless women, particularly those of color, who followed in her footsteps.
One in particular was Patricia Edwards, who served as president of IRA from 2010 to 2011.
“In 1978, while a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I had the opportunity to attend the Great Lakes Regional Conference,” said Edwards, a professor at Michigan State University. “I had never seen a person of color on the big stage. When I first saw Dorothy on the center stage, I decided that I wanted to follow in her footsteps by becoming a leader in the organizations that focused on literacy.”
A Woman of Influence and Grace: ILA Remembers Past President Dorothy S. Strickland
BY COLLEEN PATRICE CLARK
| Apr 22, 2020 in ILA News
Please donate and help support the Dorothy Strickland Scholarship for Intensive English!
The mission of the Boise State University Intensive English Program is to provide non-native English-speaking students with the opportunity to improve their English language skills for personal, professional, and/or academic success.
Sadly, many of the students most in need of improving their English language skills don’t have access to the resources needed to pursue our program and continue on to full time enrollment at Boise State University.
This fall, with the help of professor Michael Strickland, we established to Dorothy Strickland Scholarship for English Language Learners to help fill this gap and provide more opportunities to our students. This scholarship was established with the help of professor Michael Strickland in order to honor his mother’s legacy of tireless work in support of English Language Education and particularly those students most in need. In addition to being a loving mother and grandmother, Dr. Dorothy Strickland was a noted author and educator who held the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Chair in Education at Rutgers University.
We have the opportunity to support a first-generation student in English through a newly established scholarship, which honors the amazing legacy of Dr. Dorothy Strickland. Dr. Strickland was a distinguished and pioneering professor, having been the State of New Jersey Professor of Reading, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Professor of Education at Rutgers University, and the Arthur I. Gates Professor of Education at Teachers College Columbia University.
She was the first black president of the International Literacy Association. In 1998, she received the National Council of Teachers of English Award as Outstanding Educator in the Language Arts and in 1994, she was awarded the NCTE Rewey Belle Inglis Award as Outstanding Woman in the Teaching of English. The scholarship was created by Dr. Strickland’s son, Michael Strickland, now a resident of Pocatello, who has many connections to Idaho State University. On #bengalgivingday, we have the opportunity to honor the legacy of this pioneering academic and to support an ISU student through donations to the Dr. Dorothy Strickland Scholarship Challenge. Donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $1000. The scholarship will be awarded in spring 2023. Learn more about Dr. Dorothy Strickland in this remembrance at Literacy Worldwide.
BROWN LIKE ME
On March 4, 2022, The Dorothy Strickland Scholarship Fund gave $250 to Brown Like Me. This will be the first of a number of recurring gifts. The Brown Like Me board will give each scholarship to a child who has shown academic achievement, leadership, and service.
Brown Like Me is a place of belonging for Black youth in Idaho’s Treasure Valley. In a region where our Black children are often the minority in their schools, activities, the grocery store, and even at home, Brown Like Me delivers programming that allows them to see the beauty of being Black.
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY Thank you to the multiple donors who have given to the Rutgers University Foundation in Strickland’s honor.
Human Rights Collective 