Potter College News

Dr. Cheryl R. Hopson is an associate professor of English and African American studies in the department of English at WKU. She received her bachelor's degree in English from Roanoke College, masters in English from Radford University, and PhD in 20th Century African American and American Literature and Black Feminist Theory from the University of Kentucky. She teaches Poetry Writing, Introduction to Literature, and Radical Blackness, a course that she developed for the African Studies program. 

Dr. Hopson has several published poems and books of poetry. The first poem she published internationally was “Conversation Begets,” about the 9/11 tragedy and the impact that it had on her life. Dr Hopson states that her purpose in writing is to give people a sense of hope and opportunity. “I never want to leave you in despair. So when you close my book, even though you've been through something, which you have, you will close it with a sense of something that's more as possible, that more life is possible, more goodness is possible.” 

Dr. Hopson really wants to focus on her students and the future of poetry writing, stating “When I realized that younger people were reading my stuff and they would possibly come [to WKU] to study later, I knew I wanted to, I wanted to be something that would affect their consciousness, and that they could take into their home communities and really sort of talk through and really think about.” Her goal is to help her students achieve their vision and discover their voice as writers. Whether or not the student is pursuing a career in writing, her courses are entirely geared towards building up a writing portfolio.

Dr. Hopson has taught many honors sections of her courses. “What the honors students demand is that you be at the top of your game in class…the honors program has grounded me in this real need to connect to my students and introduce them to literature and culture and ideas that they may not ordinarily engage with.” Teaching honors courses has made her aware of the “beauty and viability” of lifelong learning. 

Some authors that inspire Dr. Hopson are Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, and Rebecca Walker. To read more about Dr. Cheryl R. Hopson, visit her interview with the Kentucky Foundation for Women. https://www.kfw.org/feminist-blog/kfw-honors-cheryl-hopson-for-black-history-month/