The Untold Stories feature series was initiated in 2018 at the suggestion of Acting Co-President Mike Edmonds, who noted 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 said.

By telling the stories of marginalized persons who have studied, taught, and worked at Colorado College, we learn that yes, we’ve made gains, but we also have much more work to do. Quite often, we learn of remarkable resilience.

The project was originally referred to as the “People’s History at CC,” in reference to Howard Zinn’s book “A People’s History of the United States,” which revealed untold stories of U.S. history and struggle from the perspective of common people of all backgrounds The CC project was renamed “Untold Stories” to more simply communicate its intentions to broad audiences.

In Summer 2018, two interns, recent graduate Eviva Kahne ’18 and student Chaline Lobti ’19, were supported in archive research methods by Assistant Professor Amy Kohout, Professor Carol Neel, and Associate Professor Jane Murphy of the CC History Department. The interns researched and pursued the first four stories, and explored potential elements that could be included in web pages devoted to the project as it unfolds. The interns worked with staff in the Office of Communications and the Butler Center. A committee of alumni, faculty, and staff select the next CC people to feature, and readers can share stories for consideration using the link below on the main Untold Stories page.

By hearing these voices and reading these words, we honor these lived experiences, and better understand who we are, where we’ve been, and where we are going in our journey toward antiracism, inclusion, and equity.

Explore more Untold Stories at: coloradocollege.edu/untoldstories