As a growing organization, we welcome the changes that naturally occur externally and internally, including with our board of directors. Every leader who volunteers their time to help grow and add their personal shine to our organization is appreciated and valued. That’s why we’re excited to welcome a new board member, Rachel Winston, and extend immense gratitude to retiring board secretary, Stephanie Lang. 

Torch welcomes our newest board member, Rachel Winston, an archivist and curator based in Austin, TX. She is the founding Black Diaspora Archivist at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), where she leads the effort to build the library’s special collection documenting the Black experience across the Americas and Caribbean. Rachel holds a degree in anthropology with a minor in French from Davidson College. She is an alumna of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and received her Master’s degree in Information Studies and Museum Studies from UT Austin. 

Retiring after 15 years of support is Stephanie Lang, a published writer and community curator who uses the power of storytelling to explore concepts of home and resistance. She was previously the Director of Community-Driven Initiatives at the Office of the Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement at UT Austin. In 2018, after the success of multiple community curatorial projects, Ms. Lang founded RECLAIM, an organization working to discover, recover, and ultimately showcase the narratives and histories of black people throughout the diaspora, and present these findings through an artistic and thought-provoking lens.

We are excited to see what we accomplish with additional insight and direction on our board, and hold dear the wisdom from past board members as well.

For more information about Torch Literary Arts and our team, please visit https://www.torchliteraryarts.org/team or follow @torchliteraryarts on Instagram.

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About Torch Literary Arts

Torch Literary Arts (TORCH) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit established with love and intention in 2006 to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by experienced and emerging writers alike. TORCH has featured work by Toi Derricotte, Tayari Jones, Sharon Bridgforth, Crystal Wilkinson, Patricia Smith, Natasha Trethewey, Elizabeth Alexander, and others. Programs include the Wildfire Reading Series, writing workshops, and retreats.

Help TORCH continue to publish and promote Black women writers by donating today.

Media Contact Information:

Brittany Heckard

Communications Associate

bheckard@torchliteraryarts.org 

(512) 641-9251