This Land We Love

Greg Wiggan is Professor of Urban Education, Adjunct Professor of Sociology, and Affiliate Faculty of Africana Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research addresses school processes that promote high achievement among urban and minority students. He has published over 100 publications, inclusive of 28 education books, with notable titles such: Global Issues in Education; Power, Privilege and Education; and in press, Teacher Education to Enhance Diversity in STEM; Sister Outsider in the Academy, and Education as Healing Power. He was a finalist for the prestigious American Educational Research Association outstanding book award.

I gained early business experience producing T-shirts for non-profit organizations and selling my artwork while still in high school. This experience gave me valuable insight into graphic design, and client's needs and desires. After high school, I attended The Atlanta College of Art to earn my associates degree in the Visual Arts, and earned Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design at Bauder College. After graduating from college, I worked as a freelance graphic artist for promotional companies such as Metro Boys, Extreme Media, Galaxy Graphics, and WVEE Radio (Frank and Wanda in the Morning), all located in Atlanta, Georgia. This experience provided useful business and professional contacts within the design and shirt sublimation technology industry that I currently leverage. After 8 years of freelancing, I utilized my experience, and business contacts to launch an apparel company called, Soulsimplicity.com. After launching Soulsimplicity, I continued to freelance. I moved to Orlando Florida, where my wife's employer moved our family. As I continued to freelance, I worked part time for a company called, Victory Tailgate, a company that makes licensed apparel and corn hole board games. After two years of working with the company, I was laid off and I decided to pursue being an independent Graphic Artist and Illustrator full time. I would go on to develop several logos and branding identities for small business startups throughout Atlanta, GA. and Central Florida, and illustrated over 50 book titles to upcoming authors/writers across the country, with 26 published titles and illustrated projects of my own, partnered with my wife.