From the Nominator

"This is the LMU Magazine cover image for a story that profiles Stephanie Bell ’20, an alumna whose senior class project was an award-winning film titled Defending Our Crowns. Bell’s film is a documentary about racial discrimination against Black women based on how they wear their hair in the workplace. 

Our cover photo—from Stephanie Bell’s pose, facial expression, composition, and black and white treatment—is designed to confront the reader with the image of a strong Black woman and an issue of racial justice that must be faced. In support of administration priorities, the issue was released in the midst of a major recommitment of LMU to racial justice, equity, and diversity issues—a stance very publicly proclaimed by LMU’s president. 

The story and the cover itself garnered widespread acclaim from throughout the LMU community, generated a large number of letters, and circulated deeply in community organizations working on racial justice issues."

From the Judges

The judges found this portrait striking, from a beautifully executed technical perspective and in the way the image supported the documentary narrative. The image is strong in its simplicity and symmetry, and successfully connects the viewer with the subject and story.