Dr. Vershawn (Vay) Young
Overview
I am a scholar, performer, educator, and public intellectual whose work sits at the intersections of African American literature, African American rhetoric, literacy studies, language diversity, performance, and linguistic justice. Over the course of my career, I have been fortunate to help shape conversations about language, race, identity, literacy, and education through my research on code-meshing, Black language practices, and writing pedagogy.
My work is rooted in a simple belief: language diversity is not a problem to be solved but a resource to be celebrated. Through my scholarship, teaching, public engagement, and creative work, I seek to demonstrate the intellectual, cultural, and rhetorical power of the many ways people use language to make meaning and build community.
Academic Leadership & Institutional Development
Before joining UTEP, I served as Professor in the Departments of English Language and Literature and Communication Arts at the University of Waterloo, where I founded and directed Black Studies. I also served in leadership roles as Associate Chair of Theatre and Performance and Communication and Design Practice. Earlier in my career, I taught at the University of Iowa and the University of Kentucky. Across these institutions, I have worked to build programs, mentor students and emerging scholars, and expand opportunities for historically underserved communities.
As Chair of the Department of English at UTEP, I continue to support innovative teaching, research, public engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration while working to create opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to thrive.
Research, Scholarship & Impact
I am the author, editor, or co-editor of more than ten books and numerous articles, essays, and book chapters. My work has appeared in journals such as PMLA, College Composition and Communication, and JAC, and has contributed to conversations about African American rhetoric, Black language, code-meshing, writing studies, literacy, performance, and linguistic justice.
At the center of my scholarship is a commitment to challenging deficit views of language difference and demonstrating the power of multilingual and multidialectal practices as valuable rhetorical resources.
Books and Major Publications
Selected books include:
Your Average Nigga: Performing Race, Literacy, and Masculinity
Other People's English: Code-Meshing, Code-Switching, and African American Literacy
Neo-Passing: Performing Identity after Jim Crow
From Bourgeois to Boojie: Black Middle-Class Performances
Code-Meshing as World English: Pedagogy, Policy, Performance
My forthcoming work includes Laying Bare Interior Life: Essays on Teaching Black Language and Literature in AmeriCanada.
Fatherhood & Inspiration
While I care deeply about my academic work, my proudest role is being a father. My daughter, Ari Zhah Young, continuously reminds me why possibility matters. I believe she is destined to become a great athlete, artist, scientist, leader, or anything else she chooses to be. Watching her grow, learn, compete, and dream has been one of the greatest joys of my life.
The photographs accompanying this biography capture two moments that mean a great deal to me. One was taken on the UTEP campus, where I have the privilege of serving as Chair of the English Department. The other was taken after Ari earned second place in a regional track competition in Niagara, Ontario. Together, these images reflect the values that guide my life: family, perseverance, achievement, joy, and an unwavering belief in the limitless potential of the next generation.
Looking Forward
Whether through scholarship, performance, leadership, mentoring, or public engagement, my goal remains the same: to help create spaces where people can bring their full selves and full voices into the world. I remain committed to advancing educational opportunity, linguistic justice, and meaningful community engagement while continuing to learn from the students, colleagues, and family members who inspire me every day.
Contact Information
Email: EnglishChair@utep.edu
Phone: 915-747-0246
Hudspeth Hall 107 / 214
Personal Information
Samuel Shirley and Edna Holt Marston Professor
