Honors College A+ Video Wins Anthem Award

A video produced for the 2021 issue of A+, the Honors College magazine, has won recognition in the Anthem Awards competition. The Legacy of BAD Times: Black Student Experiences at the U of A won a silver Anthem Award in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion category - Special Projects (Non-Profit). This 17-minute video documents a campus tour led by honors students in Interim Chancellor Charles Robinson's Fall 2020 Honors College Forum, BAD Times. The course, named for the Black Americans for Democracy newspaper launched by Black students in the 1970s, brought activists past and present to campus, culminating in an online tour, campus tour and this video. 

The Anthem Awards were launched this year with the goal of "celebrating purpose and mission-driven work from people, companies and organizations worldwide." Judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, the competition drew nearly 2,500 submissions from 36 countries around the world. The Legacy of BAD Times also won recognition in the 2021 Davey Awards competition. 

"The BAD Times course taught by Chancellor Robinson and the campus tour that followed enriched our understanding of the experience of Black students on our campus," said Honors College Dean Lynda Coon. "This video of the tour helps to ensure that history will not be forgotten, and I'm pleased to see yet another collaboration with our friends at University Relations win recognition nationally."

The Legacy of BAD Times was coproduced by Kendall Curlee and Katie Wilson Powell, and directed, filmed and edited by John Steele Cooper. Ashley Acord provided animation and assisted with production, and Eric Olson edited the sound. Tony Steck, creative director at DOXA/VANTAGE, designed opening credits and graphics.