Students Take Top Honors in 2025 Anne Braden Institute Social Justice Awards

Awards recognize powerful research and creative work on inclusion, equity, and systemic change. 

By Stephanie Godward, Communications and Marketing Director, College of Arts & Sciences 

The University of Louisville’s College of Arts & Sciences is proud to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Anne Braden Institute (ABI) Social Justice Paper and Multimedia Student Awards. These competitive awards highlight the outstanding work of students using scholarship and creativity to address pressing issues of social justice—work that’s not only academically rigorous, but deeply relevant in today’s world. 

The submissions are judged anonymously, and each prize has a panel of volunteer judges from UofL. For prospective students passionate about activism, advocacy, or making a meaningful difference through research, these awards offer a glimpse into the kind of transformative work students can accomplish and produce as part of the A&S community. 

Undergraduate Paper Prize: 

Emily Ravenscraft — “Reimagining the Canon: Inclusive Programming & the American Orchestra” 

Emily Ravenscraft, who recently completed an Individualized Major in Inclusive Cultural Leadership, won the Undergraduate Paper Prize for her deeply researched and accessible paper exploring how American orchestras can build more inclusive and representative programming. Judges praised her thoughtful structure, diverse use of sources, and the clarity of her writing. Emily's work exemplifies how A&S students are using the humanities to challenge longstanding cultural norms and imagine more inclusive futures in the arts. 

Graduate Paper Prize (Joint Winners): 

Joy Adeleye — “From Japa to Japada: Media Myths and the Realities of Nigerian Migrants and Returnees” 

Meg Powers — “‘I Am the Very Opposite of Racist’: A Mixed-Methods Examination of the White Fragility Response” 

With a record number of strong submissions this year, the graduate judges awarded the prize jointly to two outstanding PhD students in A&S. Joy Adeleye, a doctoral student in the Department of Urban and Public Affairs, was recognized for their timely, myth-busting paper on Nigerian migration narratives. Meg Powers, a Clinical Psychology PhD student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, earned top honors for a mixed-methods study examining how white fragility responses operate in conversations about race. 

Both papers were commended for their clear arguments, strong writing, and critical engagement with urgent social topics. 

Two additional graduate students received honorable mentions: 

Daniel Bullman, a Social Work Research PhD student (Kent School of Social Work and Family Science), for “From Boxes to Bias: A Critical Analysis of Ban-the-Box Policies and Racialized Employment Exclusion.” 

Benjamin Botkin, a History MA student in A&S, for “Manning Marable and Malcolm X.” 

Their work represents the interdisciplinary reach and real-world impact of social justice research across UofL. 

Multimedia Prize: 

Carla Almaguer, Innocent Ntwali, and Justin Gilbert — “Implicit Bias in Hiring and Recruitment” 

Now in its third year, the ABI Social Justice Multimedia Prize was awarded through a partnership with the Delphi Center’s Cards Create Showcase. This year’s winning project came from a team of students in the College of Business who collaborated on a visually compelling presentation and infographic addressing implicit bias in hiring. Their work stood out for both its design and its potential to spark institutional change. 

About the ABI Social Justice Student Awards 

Hosted by UofL’s Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research, these annual awards recognize undergraduate and graduate students for exceptional work that aligns with ABI’s mission: bridging academic research and community activism for racial and social justice. 

Each winning project is a testament to what’s possible when students combine their academic passion with a commitment to equity and change. For prospective students looking for a university where you can do more than earn a degree—where your voice, vision, and values can thrive—A&S at UofL is the place to be.