From the Nominator

"In 2016, an Amherst student was researching a project on the queer history of the college and came across a former Black gay student (class of 1973) who had boldly spoken up for gay rights on a pre-coed campus in a highly homophobic time and place. When Amherst's archivist tried to learn more about this alum, who died in 1994, he found they'd requested a name change for the alumni directory in 1982. The alum, Tamara Johnson, had also sent a note to the administration saying she'd had a "sex change operation." It seems that Johnson was the college's first known transgender graduate. A trailblazer on campus, too. 

What a story—but how could we tell it? This led to an arduous (and frustrating) reporting process in which the author reached out, with mixed success, to many people from Johnson's life, both in the U.S. and in Germany, where she spent her last years. The goal was to paint a portrait of an extraordinarily brave and compassionate person, while also giving context to just how difficult it was to live as an openly trans person in Johnson's times. 

The reporting experience, likewise, had parallel difficulties, which became part of the story. The article has since been taught in Amherst courses on queer theory, and it generated the most letters to the editor in 2022, spilling over to two issues. To sample one: "This devastating story of a brilliant light extinguished before its time will haunt me forever.""

From the Judges

“A Glorious Woman” is a compelling and poignant profile that had judges tearing up! The author's honesty and openness add to the overall impact of the story, which was well-written and provided a strong sense of who Johnson was despite the challenges of writing a story on someone who has passed. The sensitivity and the in-depth reporting with fantastic details made it a standout nomination. Overall, an impressive and moving profile that deserves recognition.