From the Nominator

Pomona College alumna Myrlie Evers-Williams, class of 1968, fought for justice for decades after her husband’s assassination, served as chairwoman of the NAACP and gave the invocation before a global audience of millions at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. As she turned 90 in early 2023, the civil rights pioneer donated her archival collection to her alma mater to inspire future generations. The thousands of items, ranging from photos with U.S. presidents to her political campaign materials to congressional transcripts, offer tangible touchpoints of Evers-Williams’ – and the nation’s – turbulent journey toward justice in the years after the shocking 1963 assassination of her husband, NAACP official Medgar Evers. Pomona College’s Office of Communications planned and executed a media relations campaign around the gift announcement to generate coverage in local, regional, and national news, as well as to promote an on-campus event to celebrate Mrs. Evers-Williams’ milestone birthday. The goal of the campaign was to earn recognition for a Pomona College alumna who dedicated her life to the fight for justice and to highlight the college as the recipient and steward of the archival collection of a civil rights pioneer. The news media campaign resulted in more than 35 stories in national and local media--print, broadcast TV, and radio, as well as online. Media hits included Los Angeles Times, USA Today, NPR's LA affiliate, and ABC7 in LA, as well as a two-minute segment, filmed from campus, on “The CBS Evening News” and coverage on MSNBC’s “The Reid Out.”

From the Judges

A great entry that leveraged earned and owned media to celebrate an inspirational alumna while being mindful and respectful of her time and story. The in-house team cleverly leveraged Black History Month, Women's Day, and the compelling nature of the alumna’s photos to garner significant attention. The legacy website that shares the collection provides an important and lasting tribute. It was also great to see the connection to advancement and a link for donors to contribute.