Claudia Rankine did not win the National Book Award. She told us so at her talk on Wednesday, March 4th, when someone asked her if she thought black artists were sufficiently recognized by elite literary circles. She laughed and raised her eyebrows, and mentioned that she had, however, won something at the NAACP Recognition Awards:…
BSAY’s Conversation with Professors Elizabeth Alexander and Erica James
On Friday, February 27th, the Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY) hosted a conversation with the esteemed professors Elizabeth Alexander and Erica James. This was the first in what BSAY is calling “the Black Professor Series,” a collections of conversations designed “to bring Black students and professors together in a personal environment.” A small group…
Like Serena: The Realities of Being a Black Female Athlete
Serena Williams has an ambition and drive that is larger than life. This has helped her become the face of her sport, but she is consistently considered exceptional for a Black woman. The language used to describe her career goes like this: Serena Williams is an excellent tennis player even though she has a big…