‘Mamma's Brown Sugar’ to be presented as part of Fanfare Oct. 29


Thursday, October 23, 2014 Celina Echols
by: Tonya Lowentritt

MAMMA'S BROWN SUGAR– Professor of Teaching and Learning Celina Echols will present a Fanfare lecture about "Mamma's Brown Sugar," a book about her own experiences of foster care and adoption, at Southeastern Louisiana University on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 12 p.m. in the Teacher Education Center, room 1022.


HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University Professor of Teaching and Learning Celina Echols will present a lecture on her book, "Mamma's Brown Sugar," which details her own experiences of foster care and adoption. Scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 29, the free presentation is from 12 - 2 p.m. in the Teacher Education Center, room 1022.

Sponsored by the College of Education's Department of Teaching and Learning in collaboration with The Library of Congress – Teaching with Primary Sources, the lecture is part of Fanfare, the university's annual fall celebration of the arts, humanities and social sciences, as part of Celebrating Diversity, the Forum on Milestones in Education.

Echols said that "Mamma's Brown Sugar" is a colorful and captivating story about a single woman who, wishing to have a family, adopts a son, who she lovingly calls Mamma's Brown Sugar.

"This book is appropriate for all age groups and provides hope for all adopted children and children wanting to be adopted," Echols said. "It also supports families and friends of single parents who are exploring adoption. The story offers children the ability to recognize that to be adopted means that one is chosen and counters the cruel imagery of being orphaned and unwanted."

Echols added that the story presents illustrations of beauty, such as shades of brown skin, broad noses and nappy hair to offset stereotypes often present in the 21st Century.

"The illustrations display the beautiful bond created between a mother and son to support the social, cognitive and emotional development needed by children," she said. "The story also reflects the current trend of declining marriages in the United States, while offering hope to professional women who wish to have the fulfillment of both families and careers."

For more information, contact the Department of Teaching and Learning at 985-549-2221.

 

 




More News...