Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert L. Reece.
Hi Robert L., we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey to academia and art has not been straightforward. Growing up in a small, impoverished town in rural Mississippi few people would have been surprised if I got stuck there. My situation was especially unique as the son of former sharecroppers. Both my parents were born on plantations, making me, born in 1988, the first generation on both sides not to be born on Mississippi plantations, even if I was still in a highly segregated, underdeveloped area. I could probably be forgiven had I resigned myself to those circumstances certainly the odds were stacked against me, but with a little luck and help, I made my way to college at the University of Mississippi on a full academic scholarship, where I transitioned to grad school at Duke University. Afterwards, I landed a tenure track job at UT-Austin as an Assistant Professor of Sociology and shortly after began to lean more heavily into my art and eventually launched my Etsy store, which has become a point of personal pride for me.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Simply applying to college was difficult for me. I had no idea how that process worked and didn’t know where to start. I didn’t know how to measure a good college, what types of financial aid I should apply for, how to complete the FAFSA, or any of the other myriad decisions college applicants have to make before even beginning their college journey. I chose the University of Mississippi virtually on a whim and some of my teachers thankfully were available to help me. But I still neglected crucial parts of my application. I did not submit a financial aid application nor an application to the honors college. Fortunately, the university saved me. They review every application for financial aid eligibility, a crucial safety net for students like me. And once I arrived on campus, the administrators in the University Honors College noticed my test scores and invited me to join. All of these gestures, from both individuals and organizational policy, helped me along the way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Work, for me, is such a multifaceted topic that I don’t even know where to start. Just in my job at UT, I’m a researcher, a teacher, a mentor. And outside of that, I’m a consultant and an artist. Research is truly my passion though. I simply can’t believe I have a job where I’m paid to learn, where reading is my job, where writing is my job. It feels so special and important, particularly considering my research typically centers on racial inequality, which is a way for me to highlight issues in the communities I care about and help to better understand how to ameliorate those problems. But I also love mentoring students. It’s a joy for me to see their research develop and to get insight into the next generation of scholars and creatives. They’re all so talented with new, fresh ideas and perspectives.
My art also holds a special place in my heart. It is my outlet when other work becomes too stressful so I draw things that make me happy and I sell them in the hope that they may make other people happy as well. So my site features fun pop culture mashups, tributes to musical artists, and increasingly greeting cards. I’ve become more and more excited about making cards because I’ve become more invested in encouraging people to tell their loved ones that they care about them. I feel like that has become even more important during the pandemic so a fun Christmas card, Valentine’s Day card, or friendship card can be a way to remind people that they are valued and important. I even send my own cards to my friends and they love them.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I’m honestly unsure. I don’t really keep my pulse on the future of academia or art. I mostly keep my head down and work.
Contact Info:
- Email: RobertLReece@gmail.com
- Website: RobertLReece.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magnoliafresh_/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhuzzieSlippers
- Other: MarvelousMashups.com
