Tim'm T. West
MAGNOLIA –The Upward Bound program at Southern Arkansas University will hold its 2011 graduation ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, in Harton Theatre. More than 30 students from area high schools will participate in the graduation ceremony. The public is invited to attend.
SAU Upward Bound alumnus (1990), Tim’m T. West will be the graduation speaker. West is a poet, emcee, scholar and the author of three books, “Red Dirt Revival,” “BARE,” and “Flirting.” He was raised in Taylor. A graduate of Duke, The New School, and Stanford universities, he is also co-founder of the now-defunct rap group DDC. Tim’m followed their success with three solo projects, “Songs from Red Dirt,” “Blakkboy Blue(s),” and the 2009 release “In Security: The Golden Error.” He also created and hosted the “Front Porch” Spoken Word/Soul/Hip Hop showcase in D.C., Oakland, Chicago, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and various U.S. colleges and universities. He has appeared in Byron Hurt’s “Beyond Beats and Rhymes,” Alex Hinton’s “Pick Up the Mic,” and is featured in Mario Van Peebles documentary, “Bring Your “A” Game.”
Though Tim’m currently resides in Houston, Texas, he has been a visiting lecturer in ethnic studies at Humboldt State University in Northern California. He continues to lecture nationally and is currently an adjunct professor of philosophy and English at Houston Community College.
Upward Bound is a federally-funded program serving student from area high schools during their freshman through senior years. The program aims to enhance the skills of low income and first generation students, helping them graduate high school and be better prepared for college.
