From a life of human trafficking and drugs to one as an award-winning college professor and recording artist – that’s the story Elaine Richardson will share Friday, Sept.5, at 8 p.m. in Cole Hall at Bridgewater College. The event is free and open to the public.
Raised in a poverty-stricken area of Cleveland, Ohio, Richardson was absorbed by life on the streets. She struggled with staying out of jail, evading the control of abusive pimps, addiction to drugs and unwanted pregnancies. While many people escape the destructive lifestyle of the streets through prison or death, Richardson chose another option – education. She went to school – and never stopped.
Richardson is the author of PHD to Ph.D.: How Education Saved My Life. Her story is an honest, frightening and self-exposing, yet hopeful look at the enormous value of education and the differences it can make in individual lives
Richardson is professor of literacy studies in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University. She is also a hip-hop recording artist and performer. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cleveland State University and a doctorate from Michigan State University.
Richardson has received many awards from the National Council of Negro Women, City of Columbus, Cleveland State University Distinguished Alumni, The Ohio State University and more.
Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college, located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,800 undergraduate students.
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