Peace in the Pages

Malcolm Mitchell, a native of Valdosta, Georgia, is an accomplished author, literacy advocate, and former professional athlete. As a high school senior, he was named an Under Armour All-American and went on to rank among the top ten all-time receivers in University of Georgia (UGA) history. During his time as a student-athlete, Malcolm was the first UGA student ever recognized as the National Captain of the Allstate Good Works Team, honoring his commitment to visiting elementary schools to inspire young readers. He also earned the UGA Student-Athlete of the Year Award and graduated in December 2015 with a degree in Communication Studies.

Malcolm’s love of reading blossomed during his freshman year at UGA, though it began as a challenge. Through perseverance, books became a gateway to curiosity, creativity, and learning. In 2015, he authored and published his first children’s book, The Magician’s Hat, and launched a youth literacy initiative, Read with Malcolm. The following year, he founded Share the Magic Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to inspiring young readers. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed books to more than 300,000 children and delivered Read with Malcolm literacy programming to over three million students across all fifty states and eighteen countries.

Malcolm’s work has earned numerous accolades. In 2016, he was named Children’s Author of the Year by the Georgia Writers Association and became a Scholastic author in 2017. His second book, My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World, received the same Children’s Author of the Year honor in 2019. His story has been featured on CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, USA Today, and the NFL Network. A 2015 documentary about his journey won the College Sports Media Award for Outstanding Special Feature.

Selected by the New England Patriots in the 2016 NFL Draft, Malcolm became a Super Bowl Champion in February 2017. That same year, he was honored at the 20th Anniversary of the President’s Summit for America’s Future, receiving the Promise Hero Award from Colin Powell and America’s Promise Alliance for his contributions to youth. He also received the Pinnacle Award from the International Dyslexia Association for his advocacy on behalf of individuals with dyslexia and other reading differences.

Malcolm has been recognized among UGA’s “40 Under 40” and Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “40 Under 40” and received the national Champion of Children Award from Foundations, Inc. Recently, he was awarded the President’s Award by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and named to UGA’s 2024 Bulldog 100, celebrating the fastest-growing organizations owned or led by UGA alumni.

Today, Malcolm continues to write stories that empower young readers, serves as CEO of Share the Magic Foundation, and travels nationwide to promote literacy and book ownership. In August 2023, he was appointed to the Georgia Council on Literacy, a committee tasked with improving literacy outcomes for Georgia students. In collaboration with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Malcolm has published three picture books for Pre-K students across the state. He also serves as the “Georgia Reads Coach,” a statewide initiative recognizing community efforts to boost grade-level reading.

Among all his achievements on and off the field, Malcolm considers discovering his love of reading one of his greatest accomplishments.