Nineteen Fifty-Six Magazine Editor Talks Mission, Goals

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — A new student-led online publication that's the first of its kind hopes to offer a new platform for Black students at the University of Alabama, while deriving its title from an important year in the school's history. Ahead of Nineteen Fifty-Six's expected launch in September, Patch caught up with Editor-In-Chief Tionna Taite, who founded the concept, to learn more about what the magazine hopes to accomplish.

"I realized that there wasn’t a designated spot for Black students," Taite said with respect to student publications available at UA. "I went to the Office of Student Media and didn’t see any magazines that were similar to what I wanted to create, so I took the next step to create a proposal that outlined my goals and mission."

Taite, a sophomore journalism student majoring in news media, previously worked as a social media strategist for the Crimson White and is also still an editor for Mosaic — the magazine for the Honors College of The University of Alabama. Prior to her latest venture, she also created a blog, Becoming Black Excellence, as a resource for Black students.

She cited the Office of Student Media in saying the new digital magazine will represent the first university publication headed up by, and geared toward, Black students.

Taite received the inspiration for the magazine's name as she tried to think of a way to form a strong brand to serve as the foundation for a lasting legacy after she graduates. In trying to establish a historical connection with the university, Taite focused on 1956 — the year Autherine Lucy Foster was enrolled as UA's first Black student.

"She was the first step and led to the students we have on campus today or like Vivian Malone, who was the first Black student to graduate," she said. "It was such a pivotal year for UA."

The current social climate, backdropped by nationwide demonstrations calling for racial equality and police reform, also served as a driver for the young editor. In establishing the magazine during such a tumultuous time, she was impressed at the level of engagement and energy from young people involved in pushing for change.

Apart from a platform with a central focus, Taite also hopes Nineteen Fifty-Six will be a chance for budding student-journalists and writers to gain valuable experience.

"I definitely do view this as a valuable tool that has come out of [nationwide demonstrations], but I think it will also just allow students to be heard and express themselves," she said. "Some students who are on my team are not necessarily on campus, so I feel like Nineteen Fifty-Six is a good opportunity during this time to feel more like they have an outlet and to feel like they’re getting their voice out there, even during a time like this."

The groundswell of interest from young people resulted in the magazine's current staff growing to about 50 people ahead of its launch, with plans to continue adding contributing writers and offer a platform for submissions from students who want to express themselves. Those on staff range from freshmen to doctoral students.

While a final launch date has not been announced, Taite said the goal would be late September for the first publication of Nineteen Fifty-Six. The staff's first organizational meeting is set for Sunday.

"By the fall, the goal is to have three different magazines," Taite said, before saying the likelihood of it being produced in print was low for the time being. "With print, I don’t think it's a good idea with everything going on with COVID, but maybe next year or when things get better we could."

Taite then explained the magazine's layout will consist of four sections: Culture, Features, Lifestyles and Experiences — a section that will include letters from the editor, submissions and commentary.

"Even for the students who may not work for us or may not be a contributing writer, we can still share their stories with the Experiences section," she said.

Looking ahead, Taite expressed excitement and optimism for the passion she has seen from her staff. A native of Montgomery, she stressed the ongoing role played by young people organizing peaceful demonstrations in the shadow of the state capital.

"I see a lot of passion with young people through social media and through them organizing," she said. "Right now, the [magazine's] staff is full of younger students. I just see a lot of dedication to make a shift in the culture and be that change and it's exciting to facilitate that."