By Hazel Scott/ASUDr.
Linda J.M. Holloway, author and associate professor at Alabama State University’s
College of Education and Instructional Support Programs, is the recipient of the 2024
Dr. Mary Smith Anti-Oppression Award from the Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ)
Division of the American Counseling Association.
The award honors professional counselors and counselor educators who have displayed
an exemplary record of challenging multiple oppressions in the counseling profession,
as well as in their local communities.
“I’m super excited to have this honor bestowed on me. I don’t take this recognition
for granted. It is an honor to be listed among other counselor educators who are on
the front line fighting in the trenches daily, locally, and nationally for social
justice,” said Holloway.
Holloway has a broad reputation and a long history of fighting social injustices through
the many roles she has maintained throughout her professional career, including teaching,
community services, and scholarship. She has been a true advocate and servant leader
for social justice through the training of her students, publications, and positions
she has held in the counseling education world.
“I hope to continue to be that voice in the wilderness for both Black women and children
using my children’s books, conference presentations, workshops, and seminars,” she
said.
A story activist, Holloway is recognized worldwide for her children’s books that encapsulate
social-emotional learning impacting children’s literacy, as well as for her Riverboat
Curriculum Study Guide.
“My goal has always been to create a safe and brave place for children (and adults)
to have opportunities to speak about subjects they might otherwise find challenging
to talk about,” emphasized Holloway.
Holloway continues to be a champion in the classroom for teaching social justice and
counseling culturally diverse issues and concerns.
“These are skills, abilities, and knowledge I developed at an early age observing
my parents making a difference in my rural hometown in Mississippi called Mound Bayou,
an all-Black town in the delta. The fight for social justice is in my DNA,” she said energetically.