MOJA Arts Festival to Expand Literary Program and Other Initiatives
The MOJA Arts Festival, a prominent cultural event in Charleston, South Carolina, has unveiled plans to expand its 2024 literary program with a mission to foster greater education on Black culture and history.
In a recent meeting, the Ways and Means Committee sanctioned a grant request aimed at funding the approaching initiatives for MOJA. The committee greenlit the Office of Cultural Affairs’ plea to receive a $20,000 grant to bolster the festival’s literary segment.
Revitalizing the 4th Grade Readout
The Office of Cultural Affairs announced the reintroduction of MOJA’s literary initiative, dubbed the 4th Grade Readout. The project is designed to distribute a thousand hard copies of new book titles to fourth graders. These selected books primarily focus on disseminating knowledge on Black history and culture.
The Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Charleston, Scott Watson, relayed that the program is intended to enhance the reading prowess of the students. He stated, “We want to ensure that kids who may not have the same access to reading coaches or an at-home reading environment, have a new opportunity to engage with a title that’s age-appropriate and slightly challenging.”
Funding the Program
The $20,000 grant, aimed at sustaining MOJA’s literary initiatives, comes from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Big Read award. To match this grant, the city has strategized to source funds from various corporate sponsors, admissions revenue, and private donations.
City Council Member, Keith Waring, displayed immense anticipation for MOJA’s future. Expressing his views, he stated, “MOJA is very well-positioned to elevate to the next level. It was incepted underneath the city and is now in the process of culminating its own power board, which, in my opinion, would engage Fortune 500 professionals.”
Future Prospects for MOJA
The committee gave the nod to several other grants and initiatives for MOJA. Watson indicated their continued work throughout the year, stating “We’ve tried to work not just with the grants approved this evening at Council. We’ll be launching some programs in the fall that will extend right through into the winter and spring of next year.”
The specifics of the main MOJA programs and the selected books for the 2024 literary program will be publicly announced on June 18. For up-to-date information and updates regarding the MOJA Arts Festival and its initiated programs, people are encouraged to visit MOJA’s official website.
