Following a highly publicized racial incident on campus—a black student, who was napping in a residential common room, reported being unduly questioned by campus police—the magazine decided to create a feature package that would explore more deeply the lives and experiences of black alumnae. We encouraged the writers and personal essayists to describe their experiences with a frankness and honesty that often gets sublimated when describing race. Some of the experiences they described were painful, and showed the kinds of challenges that women of color have faced as they entered what had been an overwhelmingly white institution. The entire package was a positive, powerful step in helping our readers understand each other better.
From the Judges
When a racial incident at Smith College made national headlines, the alumni magazine decided to cover the incident with a collection of stories exploring “the lives and experiences of black alumnae … with a frankness and honesty that often gets sublimated when describing race.” And they accomplished exactly that in this unflinching, nuanced and beautifully written package, curated by two accomplished and literary-minded black alumnae. The result, one judge remarked, is a memorable package filled with “sharp writing—every word matters.” Another judge called it “a thought-provoking and original entry on a subject that applies to almost any university.”
