Black History Month Edition: Letters from the Editors

Black History is not confined to a revisionist lesson that lives in a middle school textbook, only opened during February. It is a living and changing movement expressed through different mediums. Art, language, literature, journalism and so much more presents opportunities for narratives to be unflattened, acting as an active resistance to colonial norms. How do you reflect this in your work/life ALL year, not just in February?

Nico Alonso '26, Executive Editor

One of the most important facets of my work in journalism – at least to me – is to unflatten typical narratives, question who has been telling the story all this time, and to pursue the truth. One of the ways I do this is by acknowledging the harmful rhetoric posed against people of color and the blatant overlooking of POC in news media coverage and representation. My efforts, in both my journalism and academic research, are not only year-round, but lifelong, as I do my part in shifting narratives to focus on what happened, who was impacted, and what I can do to uplift their stories to the mainstream.

De'Vanese John-Baptiste '26, Managing Editor

Black History is one of evolution, which makes it a natural extension of human need and inherent limitation. To evolve –  despite our inherent shortcomings and desire for progress, even as movement can seem slow – requires an ever-changing relationship to what we constitute as valuable. If we expect this deemed valuation to contribute to something lasting, larger than ourselves,  it needs to be communal. Whether through work like this magazine, cook-outs or late-night conversations in temporal locations, I reach out for the community that negotiates these values with me.

Maria Latour '26, Creative Director

Any worthwhile artist will tell you that art history IS Black history. Black art has shaped our place in the art world today. Taking a look back through history’s favorite artists, you’ll notice a disturbing pattern of silencing and exploitation. Pablo Picasso, the father of cubism, neglected to mention the Dan and Pende people from whom he was inspired. Andy Warhol, a pop-art icon, needed the great Jean Michel-Basquiat to prop up his own fame. Art is storytelling, but all too often it's only one story being heard. This month, and all year-round, I encourage you to think critically about the stories you consume. Seek out Black art. Lift up Black voices.

Indya McKoy '26, Photo Editor

Growing up as a Black woman in a society that was created to make life more difficult, I find that it is important to uplift my community as a way of silencing the negativity. I enjoy doing this throughout my daily life, as well as through photography and collage. As my history is continuously being erased, we must find creative ways of making sure it remains alive for future generations.