Class of: 1994

Lucia Ortiz

Lucia Ortiz (GRS’94) of Brighton, Mass., and coeditor Maria M. Jaramillo published Stories of Latin American Women of African Heritage: Daughters of Muntu (Routledge, 2025). William Luis, the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in the Humanities at Vanderbilt University, praised the book, writing, “This groundbreaking collection assembles thought-provoking essays on women of African descent from key regions in Latin America. Some of these ‘daughters of the muntu’ are internationally renowned, while others equally deserve recognition. Collectively, their voices illuminate a rich and enduring tradition of the Black female experience, offering an indispensable counternarrative to prevailing cultural norms.”

From the Winter-Spring 2026 issue.