S. Renee Mitchell, an award-winning writer, multimedia artist and former journalist, will speak on “Diversity in the Media,” Tuesday, March 1, at 8 p.m., in Jonasson Hall, lower level of Melrose Hall at Linfield College.
Mitchell is an award-winning writer, multimedia artist and former journalist, who was nominated twice for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. She left a 25-year newspaper career in 2008 to reinvent herself as a social-justice grant writer, creative consultant and a creative healing griot, who nurtures hope, empowerment and inspiration into the lives of women of color and young girls. In the past few years, she has successfully secured $500,000 in grant funding for her own art and theater projects and for other organizations and individuals. Mitchell also has worked as a contracted writer in residence for Literary Arts’ Writers in The Schools program, Wordstock, and Saturday Academy.
During her 10 years at The Oregonian she wrote a twice weekly column about education, government, neighborhoods, race and culture. She was the leader of an in-house Diversity Committee and organized Portland’s first regional conference for the National Association of Black Journalists. She was nominated for the Pulitzer for commentary twice and in 2008 was named the top newspaper commentator in five states by the Society of Professional Journalists. She founded Renee Mitchell Speaks in 2000, a writing, performance, speaking, grant writing and creative consulting company, serving as graphic artist, a keynote speaker for workshops on writing, performance and grant writing. She is the founder and director of Spit/WRITE, a youth writing, performance and mentoring initiative.
She has written five books and six plays and organized trainings and regional conferences. She has received numerous awards for her community work, including the Yolanda D. King Drum Major Award in 2015. She has a bachelor’s in journalism from Florida A&M University, a master’s in business administration from George Fox University and is working on a master’s in social work with a concentration in families and children at the University of Southern California.
The lecture is free and open to the public. It is part of a series of programs in honor of Women’s History Month. It is sponsored by the Black Student Union, Mass Communications Department and Multicultural Programs. For more information contact Lauren Card, 503-883-2326.
