“When the jury was composed only of white judges, they selected a white winner every single time.2 When the jury included a single judge of color, they gave the prize to a writer of color only three times (out of 15). But in the 12 instances where two judges of color were on the panel, a racialized writer was selected half of the time. In the four years when white judges were in the minority, three of the prizes went to writers of color. And yet, as we have already argued, this may tell us less about who voted how, and why, than it does about the dynamics in the room—a room where one could not help but recognize that their perspective is one of many.”
“When the jury was composed only of white judges, they selected a white winner every single time.2 When the jury included a single judge of color, they gave the prize to a writer of color only three times (out of 15). But in the 12 instances where two judges of color were on the panel, a racialized writer was selected half of the time. In the four years when white judges were in the minority, three of the prizes went to writers of color. And yet, as we have already argued, this may tell us less about who voted how, and why, than it does about the dynamics in the room—a room where one could not help but recognize that their perspective is one of many.”