October 23, 2025
The Westin Jackson
407 South Congress Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
Angie Thomas
Award-winning Author
Born and raised in Mississippi, Angie Thomas has become a literary force whose impact extends far beyond our state’s borders. A former teen rapper turned acclaimed novelist, she holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University. She is an inaugural winner of the prestigious Walter Dean Myers Grant from We Need Diverse Books.
Thomas’s groundbreaking debut novel, The Hate U Give, became a #1 New York Times (NYT), bestseller and major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg. Her second novel, On the Come Up, also reached #1 on the NYT bestseller list and was adapted into a film directed by Sanaa Lathan, with Thomas serving as producer. In 2021, she returned to the top of the bestseller list with Concrete Rose, a prequel exploring the backstory of beloved character Maverick Carter.
Her latest achievement, Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy, marks her first venture into fantasy and another #1 NYT bestseller success. This series for young readers weaves together magical storytelling with Black history and folklore, with a film adaptation already in development under Thomas’s creative leadership.
2025 Honorees
Jim Barksdale, Philanthropist
Jim Barksdale made history with his $100 million investment to create The Barksdale Reading Institute, partnering with the Mississippi Department of Education to lift the state from the bottom in early literacy. Jim and Donna Barksdale are ardent champions of literacy as a civil rights issue of the day. Today, Mississippi ranks 9th among all states for 4th-grade reading, 3rd for African American students, and 1st for low-income students. His literacy investments extended to several literacy-related initiatives, including the beloved PBS series “Between the Lions,” the Mississippi Children’s Museum, the Mississippi Reading Clinic, and ReadingUniverse.org. Together with his late wife Sally, he established the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at Ole Miss and, more recently, the Mississippi Principal Corps to revolutionize principal training statewide.
Kelly Butler, Barksdale Reading Institute, CEO
As CEO of the Barksdale Reading Institute (BRI), Kelly Butler achieved the remarkable: successfully lifting Mississippi off the bottom in early literacy rankings. Under her leadership, BRI transformed teacher preparation across Mississippi’s universities, developed the Reading Universe professional development program now available nationwide, and created systematic change that ensures all children receive evidence-based literacy instruction. Her multi-state initiatives continue to impact educational equity far beyond Mississippi’s borders.