CLARKSDALE – Mrs. Lillie Grant, a teacher for some 39 years, is no stranger to awards. She has previously been given two Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards at Charleston Middle School. Thursday night, she joined the elite ranks in winning the statewide award of Coahoma Community College 2009 Humanities Teacher Award, sponsored by CCC, the Mississippi Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“Mrs. Grant is dedicated, caring, and an excellent instructor,” agree Dr. Rosetta Howard, CCC vice president of academics and Cynthia Williams, director of distance learning.

“She is our first adjunct faculty member to be honored by the Mississippi Humanities Council as Humanities Teacher of the Year,” says Howard.
Grant’s presentation of Perseverance was enjoyed by approximately 150 former and current students of Grants as well as college faculty and administrators, family, friends, and the general public.

In her presentation, Grant compared the perserverance of reknown author, composer, and screenwriter Richard Wright with Joseph and Job of The Holy Bible. In enumerating the many obstacles and hard times that each man had to face, she juxtaposed some of those obstacles to modern day students. “If God can bring these men through, he can bring us all through.”

Although most of her evening class students work during the day, she describes them as “enthusiastic” and “excited.”

“Often they are tired, but not complaining,” says Grant. “Some have stumbling blocks, but don’t let them get next to them; they tend to persevere without complaining.”

Grant has been employed as an adjunct English composition and world literature instructor for CCC for 12 years. Not only does the longtime Charleston resident teach college courses to non-traditional students from 6 – 9 p.m. two nights a week, she teaches English every day from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to middle school students.

Grant’s current students were given an opportunity to pay homage to her. They described her as committed, compassionate, persistent, and a caring teacher. Charleston student Obi Matthews sang his personal rendition of “I’ll Go On.” Student Sandy Smith rephrased Mayo Angelou’s famous poem “Phenomenal Woman” to fit Grant’s “phenomenal” character.

Helping Grant persevere with her own demanding schedule is her husband, now retired, who prepares supper before she returns to Charleston High School .

“I could not do this without him,” she says.

The Grants are the parents of three children and six grandchildren. A native of Holmes County, she graduated from Tchula Attendance Center, and earned a bachelor of science degree in business education from Mississippi Valley State University. She became certified in English education and earned a master’s degree in English from Jackson State University.

Despite little free time, Grant likes to walk, cook on weekends and enjoys visiting with friends. She’s also active in New Town Missionary Baptist Church as youth director and a Sunday School teacher.