DR JJ
ALEXANDER
Brief Biography
Dr. Janelle Jennings-Alexander is and has been a teacher of writing and literature since 2009. She has been a recipient of the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship and the NCTE Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award. Her research critically examines whiteness within the context of late 20th and early 21st century African American literature and explores the development of an anti-racist pedagogy through literary study. She imagines that her theories on the intersections of whiteness and African American literature might serve as a tool for training antiracist social justice allies. Dr. Jennings-Alexander's participatory action research includes the Raleigh Green Book project which focuses on narrative reclamation as a way to use oral histories and storytelling to seek historical reparative justice. To date, the project has published four children’s books that recover micro-narratives from black residents of the city of Raleigh, NC during the Jim Crow era. A proud graduate of two HBCUs (Florida A&M University and Bethune Cookman University), Dr. Jennings-Alexander also holds a Ph.D. in Literature, Media and Culture from Florida State University and has presented at numerous conferences including ASALH, NCTE, CCCC, and MELUS. She has been published in the CLA Journal. Dr. Jennings-Alexander also received the Advisor of the Year Award from William Peace University in 2019.
What Her Colleagues Say About Her
"Her innovative teaching and ability to connect with students in meaningful ways, on large and small scales, were major factors in the committee’s decision to hire her full time. She has flourished in her new role, exceeding expectations for the quantity and quality of work she has produced in every category."
"Her work on behalf of her students, her colleagues, and the university has been extremely valuable, including innumerable kinds of efforts that don’t show up on an annual personal review. I very much appreciate her efforts to imbue each (and every) class with immersive experiences, [which] is precisely the sort of paradigm-shifting that I believe is necessary to help our students to the highest and best extent possible."
What Her Student Say About Her
"Ms. Alexander is able to relate to the pressures and challenges of college life. I have turned to her in some of my most vulnerable times when I needed support with projects and events I was undertaking. She provided encouragement when I was nervous about a seminar I was planning. Aside from providing support, one of the things I will always be grateful for is Ms. Alexander’s willingness to be accessible to students. She was always there to listen and provide a much needed laugh whenever I was anxious about an exam or feeling extremely stressed."
"[Mrs. Alexander] created an environment where we could speak freely and respectfully about subjects not often broached. [She was] fair and most importantly, [she] made me excited and interested in the course. (I never thought I would be disappointed for a 9 am class to be canceled - but I was!)"
"Mrs. Alexander was an outstanding mentor and life resource. Her counsel was strategic, encouraging and at all times professional and optimistic. She has an extraordinary way of putting things in perspective. Her keen ability to see the bigger picture makes her indispensable and her caring makes her absolutely incredible as a person and friend."