JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- As a college freshman, Kiese Laymon struggled to fit in as a black student at Millsaps College in Jackson, a mostly white, church-affiliated school.
Laymon is now a professor of English and Africana Studies at Vassar College in New York, and he recently published an essay detailing his memories of Millsaps. The essay set off a chain of events as students and administrators of the 1,000-student college sought to open fresh dialogue on race relations.
This week, Laymon was back on campus to lead a discussion on the value of diversity in college culture. He also spoke at Jackson State University.
It was a homecoming he and the college hope to build on to change the culture of the campus.
