UA Junior Ashlee Woods Named Editor-In-Chief Of Nineteen Fifty-Six Magazine

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Student journalist and University of Alabama junior Ashlee Woods has been named the next editor-in-chief of Nineteen Fifty-Six Magazine.

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Woods — a native of Middletown, Delaware — is a news media major who is also minoring in political science. She will assume the role previously occupied by Tionna Taite, who oversaw the magazine's launch in September 2020.

The magazine became the first Black student-led magazine at the University of Alabama through the Office of Student Media and has since provided an outlet for "Black culture, Black excellence, and Black student experiences at the University of Alabama."

"I want to expand 1956's reach," Woods told Patch of her vision for the publication. "Tionna started a very important project here at UA and I think it has the chance to help underrepresented voices at another campus find a space in media. That means partnering with diverse organizations on campus, reaching out to different organizations at another schools and really reaching out into the community."

Apart from her work with the magazine, where she previously served as Features and Experiences Editor, Woods has also proven to be a versatile and community-focused journalist in her work as a sports reporter and editor for the Crimson White.

And for that effort, she received first place for collegiate sports writing from Alabama Media Professionals during the group's 2022 awards ceremony in Birmingham.

"I believe that we can't accurately report on the surrounding community if we are not already within it," she said. "The goal is to amplify Black and diverse voices and I'm glad to be at the head of that charge here at UA."

As Patch previously reported, 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 the late Autherine Lucy Foster was enrolled as UA's first Black student.

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