London’s “The Independent” called him “the busiest man in literature” and described him as a “prolific poet, a passionate teacher and the high priest of reggae.” His highly acclaimed work has been featured in books, magazines and journals that have found their way into the hands of people around the world. An Emmy Award-winning documentarian, Kwame Dawes is a scholar activist whose work has inspired people around the world to think deeply about what it means to be a citizen in a global society. Our university has benefited greatly from Dawes’ scholarship and his leadership. Founder and director of USC’s poetry initiative, Dawes was appointed executive director of USC’s Arts Institute in 2005 and has worked tirelessly to build partnerships that have enhanced the arts both on campus and in the local community.
But of course, when budgets are tight, the arts are the first to get cut and four months ago, USC’s Arts Institute was shut down by university officials. Consequently, Dawes has chosen to leave the University of South Carolina to accept a position at the University of Nebraska.
USC administrators, including Provost Michael Amiridis, have praised Dawes’ work, but insist that “nobody’s irreplaceable.” We agree with Provost Amiridis; none of us are irreplaceable, including Professor Dawes. We do believe, however, that a university concerned with increasing its national profile should be more careful to retain those faculty who contribute significantly to our university’s greatness.
Just as the Arts Institute created new opportunities for USC to be engaged in the arts, Kwame Dawes has help put USC on the literary map and our university is greatly in his debt.