Untold Stories is a new project that gives a voice to marginalized persons who have studied, taught, and worked at Colorado College.

The first four stories — featuring Effie Stroud Frazier ’31, Kelly Dolphus Stroud ’31, Sonlatsa Sunshine Jim-Martin ’94, P’19, and retired Associate Dean of the College Victor Nelson-Cisneros — are the beginning of what is intended to be a trove of stories featuring the voices of persons of color and marginalized people within the Colorado College community.

The stories might not have been heard before, and they tell of pain and struggle, achievement and triumph, setbacks and resilience. Some narratives may make readers uncomfortable; they may surprise and they may inspire others.

The project was initiated at the suggestion of Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students Mike Edmonds, who notes that institutions can only grow in inclusion and diversity if they acknowledge the hard truths of racism and discrimination in their past and present. “We need to know the stories of people who came, suffered, and grew,” Edmonds says.

Interns Eviva Kahne ’18 and Chaline Lobti ’19 worked on the project this summer, supported in archive research methods by Assistant Professor Amy Kohout, Professor Carol Neel, and Associate Professor Jane Murphy, all of CC’s Department of History. They also worked closely with the Butler Center and the Communications Division. Kahne and Lobti researched the first four features and explored potential elements that could be included in web pages as the project unfolds.

The hope is that by amplifying these voices and publishing these words, CC honors these lived experiences, and can better understand who we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going in our journey toward inclusion and equity. A link on the Untold Stories website invites readers to suggest other people to be considered as part of the ongoing project: coloradocollege.edu/untoldstories