Academics

Ruth E. Carter to Offer Keynote at Commonwealth Honors College Annual Black Heritage Month Celebration

Costume design visionary Ruth E. Carter will be giving the keynote lecture for the Commonwealth Honors College Annual Black Heritage Month Celebration on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium. Her talk, titled “From Honoring Culture to Creating Marvel's Worlds: Ruth E. Carter’s Costume Designs,” will focus on visual storytelling within the African diaspora and the Afrofuturist movement.

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Born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Carter was the 2019 Academy Award winner in Costume Design for Marvel’s “Black Panther” and made history as the first African American to win in the category. In a career spanning more than three decades in theater, cinema and television, Carter has teamed up with some of the most prolific directors, from Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, Ava DuVernay to Ryan Coogler. She has over sixty film and television credits, including Academy Award nominations for “Malcolm X” and “Amistad,” and an Emmy nomination for the reboot of the television mini-series “Roots.” Carter became only the second Costume Designer, 60 years after the first, to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her costumes tell stories so intriguing and unforgettable that they influence music, fashion, culture and filmmaking.

“I am deeply honored to return home to the Five College area surrounding UMass Amherst and celebrate Black Heritage Month! Growing up, I attended programs hosted by the students and faculty of this educationally enriched community,” says Carter.

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“I experienced some of the most memorable and impactful times learning about my culture and the world — so much so that the lessons are rooted in my foundation. It’s my pleasure to return the kindness," she adds.

Carter is a member of the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation, and co-founder of the Mildred Blount Scholarship Fund, which was created to assist BIPOC costume designers. She earned a bachelor of arts in theater arts from Hampton University and an honorary doctorate from Suffolk University.

The in-person event is open to the UMass Amherst community and a livestream will be open to the public, which will be available on the Commonwealth Honors College’s YouTube channel.