Poster Contest Winners – Marshall University Students

First Place

Alexander Vance, Marshall University junior from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Merit Award

Chandreonia Harris, Marshall University senior from Wheeling, West Virginia

Merit Award

Morgan Napier, Marshall University junior from Barboursville, West Virginia

First Place

Gracie Stephens, Marshall University Senior

Merit Award

Cassandra Bhagroo, Marshall University Senior

First Place

Jacob Wood, Marshall University senior

The first place winning poster that became the Official 2022  Black History Month Poster of the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Lyceum was created by Marshall senior Jacob Wood, who is working toward a double major in Advertising/Public Relations and Graphic Design, with a minor in Creative Writing.

“I really wanted to use this poster as a spotlight to shine on an individual who has done a lot of good for the health and wellness community. I began doing research on various African American medical professionals that have contributed to the betterment of society and medical advancements,” Wood said. “There were countless options to choose from! … I cannot stress enough how hard it was to narrow down one individual to focus on. After a lot of pondering, I decided to honor Dr. Patricia Bath (1942-2019). As someone who personally has struggled with vision problems, the works of Dr. Bath hit very close to home. Dr. Bath was the woman who invented the Laserphaco Scope, a critical invention that was essential in the advancement of treatment in cataract surgery. She was a strong advocate for the prevention of sight-related illnesses and conditions.”

Merit Award

• Nicole Carey, a senior who is working toward her B.F.A. in Graphic Design.
• Peyton Dolin, a senior working on a B.F.A. in Sculpture

First Place

Isabella Schrader, freshman, Biological Engineering, from Chesapeake, Ohio

“For my poster, I decided to portray two separate individuals, holding up a poster in protest,” Schrader said. “As you can see, the two people are of different races, symbolizing that everyone must work together for any progress to be made regarding racial justice. I used a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., because his words greatly resonate with the overarching theme of the project, as well as current events surrounding racism. The words also added to the effect of the protest sign, as part of it appears to be directly written on the sign. The tape over silence is meant to show that if people are being silent, they are doing damage and the tape must be removed in order for real change to be accomplished. The sky behind the poster and hands is bright blue and has white, puffy clouds to show that even if a day is ‘calm’ or ‘nice,’ the fight is not over, and we must continue to take action. Overall, I wanted this poster to show that racial justice is essential to a better society, and we will only achieve this goal if people are united.”

Second Place

Shawna Lockard, freshman, Biology Major, Minor in Chemistry, from Kermit, West Virginia

“No one knows a single right way to go about combatting the systematic institution of racism,” Lockard said. “However, there is a wrong action- no action at all. No matter what you are able to do to assume the role of an antiracist or what resources you have to go about fighting for true equality, the important part is that you do something. You break away from the shackles of indifference and inaction that keeps you bound and raise your fist to join the movement. I’ve learned that if a group of Americans are being mistreated, it is a problem for ALL Americans and demands immediate action. For this poster, I used only acrylic paint and white ink.”

Third Place

Tyler Hebert, freshman, Civil Engineering with a minor in Chemistry, from Huntington

“As a white individual, I felt it was necessary to focus primarily on African American college students and specifically a female African American Marshall student rather than focusing on ideals that didn’t directly impact Marshall students,” Hebert said. “My model is a freshman student who I met and became close friends with during my first semester at Marshall. Utilizing her in my poster was a way to convey her troubles, experiences, and overall opinions on how to showcase and improve racial justice. My concept is to show that racial injustice is an ongoing issue and will continue to persist no matter what happens, linking directly to the historical quote located in my poster, ‘You can kill a man, but you can’t kill an idea,’ by Medgar Evers. With continual abuse and neglect of African Americans through our country and government, the cause is gaining more traction and attention now due to the exposure of people to the issue. My poster is intended to draw your attention and be impactful in that this fight for racial equality will not be silenced, hitting to the metaphor of the women ripping the tape off her face which has ‘silence’ written on it.”