Interview with Awa Diaw (Class of 2011) by Aisha Rickford

Awa Diaw ‘11 talks about the experience of moving from the diverse community of Harlem, New York to snowy Brunswick, ME, and how it was one of her first times being around white students in an academic setting, which she calls a “cultural transition.” Diaw, reflects on learning to use Bowdoin’s resources and how to get support where she needed it, and recalls incidents of racial bias experienced by Bowdoin students during her time at the College. One of these culminated in a moment in Diaw’s junior year when, frustrated with the administration’s response to a particularly disturbing incident, Diaw and a committee of other students created a campaign called I Am Bowdoin, which elevated the voices of students who felt marginalized at Bowdoin.