Initial Analysis
My initial reason for turning to Colorado College’s yearbooks was to get an idea about the experiences of Black women at CC in the 1990s. From there, I intended to search for articles in student newspapers about major events happening on campus that involved Black women. The 1990’s decade is ideal for research because it is when the college started documenting the demographics of the student body. By comparing demographics to appearances in yearbooks and student newspapers, I would be able to estimate representation and inclusion on Colorado College’s campus. Due to constraints caused by the pandemic, I have not yet been able to access the demographic information that would be necessary to truly gauge if Black women’s experiences were being intentionally left out of archived materials, such as the yearbook and the student newspaper. Without that information, it is only possible to say that upon a first glance at the first yearbook from that decade, it was unclear how many Black women attended CC and if they ever left their homes.
The first two items that I have selected for analysis are two excerpts from the 1990 yearbook, “The Colorado Nugget: Doing It C.C. Style,” whose theme was inspired by Colorado College’s “inherent diversity” and students’ “time and dedication” to various service crafts (BSU was mentioned by name here). My first selection is the section of the yearbook titled, “Promoting Cultures” and is dedicated to active affinity groups on campus during the 1989-1990 school years. These two pages included photos of the affinity groups as well as a brief written description of the activities taken on by all four affinity groups during the prior school year. Each group was given one paragraph, that was written by nugget staff member Debbie Scarpa, and at least one photo.
The second selection is an excerpt from the five pages dedicated to the yearbook staff and the explanation for the theme. For the sake of this analysis, my focus is on the specific members of the staff who were responsible for writing articles, taking (and selecting photos), finding student quotes, and deciding the layouts of the pages. It is not clear from this section of the yearbook how the staff was selected, but it is likely that they had to prove some level of ability prior to being chosen for these positions. It is also unclear if the yearbook staff was paid or directives on things that absolutely could not have been left out of yearbooks. By focusing on staff members, it is possible to get a clear picture of who decided what CC’s history would look like in 1990.
Staff members were given individual and group photos, and they were also given the opportunity to share a quote. Out of all of the photographed staff members, the majority of them appear to be white or of a very light complexion. The photos are in black and white, so it is difficult to tell who among the staff would have been racialized as non-white in real life. All contributing photographers’ names were listed, including “College Relations” and the “Athletic Department” (p. 213). Details about the process of creating the yearbook and having it published are given in this section as well, which included the following statement on discrimination: “Cutler Publications, Inc., does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, physical disability, or sexual orientation.” (p. 212).
While this is a nice statement, it appears that implicit biases may have impacted the (lack of) representation of students of color in the 1990 yearbook. Through the “Promoting Cultures” section, the yearbook staff Othered students of color and somewhat diminished the significance of their efforts throughout the school year. Rather than “promoting cultures,” students of color were advocating for an “increase [in] minority enrollment and minority faculty representation” (p. 28). They were hosting cultural events that were meaningful to them as members of marginalized and minoritized communities (p. 28). While the language itself cannot be deemed entirely problematic, it is important to note that each group was only given one paragraph, and despite the many events mentioned, none were pictured. By giving four groups just two pages, the yearbook staff set a precedent that was not followed throughout the rest of the book. Despite the language in the yearbook, which claimed to be anti-discriminatory and proud of the efforts of students of color, their actual representation was kept to a minimum.
The lack of event photos suggests that pictures were not taken with the intention of being put in the yearbook. It calls into question when the idea for this page came to be and whose idea it was. Both staff and guest photographers were invited to take black and white photos for the yearbook. If specific cameras had to be used, it is possible that none were given to affinity group members to be used at their events, and no staff or guest photographers attended with the intention of taking photos. Even in the whole-group photos, it is unclear if all members were pictured.
As far as the representation of Black women goes, Casseye (or Cassye) Milton, the Black Student Union president, appears twice on one page, once in a stand-alone photo and again in the BSU group photo. Each time she appears, her name is spelled differently. In the BSU group photo, she is joined by five other Black women: Anita Stokes, Crystal Cornell, Mary Sweatt, Jennifer Price, and Tonya Caldwell (p. 29). The women sit in the front row, the four men of BSU are in the back. The women are smiling, some more than others. It is unclear if they knew their picture would be taken; Mary Sweatt has on a black button nose and Minnie Mouse ears, and Crystal Cornell is wearing an animal nose and ears as well.
The presence of costumes and the differences in smiles sparks curiosity in the young women, but little else can be learned about them in the yearbook. Although closer review will be necessary to get exact numbers on how many Black women were attending the school at the time and how many of them appeared in the yearbook, it is safe to say that their experiences were not truly included. It is impossible to know what “relationships to place” these women formed at Colorado College (Cross). It can be assumed that they might have attended a Soul Nite event (which was held every Tuesday), or traveled for a class, or done something exciting (or mundane) with their living space, but it cannot be proven with this yearbook. Whereas white students were shown doing dishes and talking on the phone, Black students, and more specifically Black women, rarely appeared outside of staged group photos.
Going forward, I intend to continue analyzing Black women’s appearances in Colorado College’s yearbooks from the 1990s. Regardless of whether or not yearbook appearances increase, I will still be able to analyze that absence in order to learn more about Black women’s sense of place. Through reading articles in the student newspapers, and perhaps in the yearbooks as well, it might be possible to hear their voices. I believe that will be the most effective way of learning about their experiences at CC in the 1990s.
Works Cited
Colorado College. Colorado College Nugget: Doing It C.C. Style, 1990. Cutler Publications, Inc., 1990. coloradocollege; americana; yearbooks ID: coloradocollegen1990colo. Archives, Colorado College Tutt Library.
Cross, Jennifer E. “What is Sense of Place?” 12th Headwaters Conference Western State College, November 2-4, 2001.
