On Thursday, October 15th, Springfield College welcomed Ruth Carter, a Springfield native and two time Academy Award-winning costume designer, to campus as the 13th annual arts and humanities speaker. At 7:30 p.m., a large crowd of Springfield students and community members gathered in the field house to hear Carter reflect on her path from growing up in Springfield to becoming one of the most influential costume designers in the film industry. Along the way, Carter implored students to think about their own purpose, and what clues may already lay within their own lives.
Springfield College’s Arts and Humanities speaker series invites annual speakers who are prominent leaders in intellectual and artistic fields. The annual signature event is hosted preceding homecoming weekend by the School of Arts and Sciences. The series aims to inspire students and invite thought provoking dialogue to take place on campus. Rachel Rubinstein, the dean of Arts and Sciences, welcomed Ruth Carter to the stage and described the series’ vision.
“To connect writers, artists, and thinkers with audiences,” Rubenstein said. “To make it possible for people to be transformed through encounters with interpretations of the world as it is and dreams of the world as it should be.”
This year, the series’ speaker embodied the creative aspect of their mission. Throughout her career, Carter has made history in the film industry. Her journey started in the city of Springfield, where she was born and raised. Often, Carter has attributed her creative “superpowers” to the city’s history, culture, and community. Carter is a highly beloved figure within the Springfield community, receiving the key to the city in 2021 for her achievements and services. Her life and career are also represented by a mural at Rebecca Johnson Elementary School. There were certainly a large number of community members in the audience at the event to give Carter a standing ovation as she walked in. As she took the stage to begin her presentation, Carter addressed the audience.
“Springfield welcoming me like this means so much,” Carter said. “It means so much to stand here and look out at people who knew me before the Oscars—people who remember me when I was still trying to figure out who I was. And students who may be trying to figure that out right now.”
During Carter’s childhood, she was drawn to theater, storytelling and creative expression, however did not yet know that costume designing was an option that could become a career. She grew up surrounded by the arts, with both of her brothers being visual artists in a highly supportive family. She learned to sew early on, using an old family sewing machine, discovering her love for creating clothing. She later attended Hampton university where she studied theater. There, she began building her own path by pursuing the creative work that interested her. It was through her passion in theater that she began to develop her skills in character, clothing and storytelling.
Carter shared that when she met filmmaker Spike Lee, he challenged her to enter the film world of costume design. Her early projects such as “School Daze” and “Do the Right Thing” allowed Carter to develop her style and create costumes that expressed characters and cultural identity. Her role in “Malcolm X” brought her major recognition, including her first Academy Award nomination at 32 years old. Carter attributed this achievement to years of research and focus in her craft, which paid off in her work. She continued to use clothing to bring stories of Black history and culture to life in “Amistad”, earning her second Academy Award nomination.
Carter reached another milestone with her work on the Marvel hits “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. She combined African cultures and traditions with futuristic and technological elements in her Afrofuturism design. Her work won Oscars for Best Costume Design for both Black Panther movies, Carter made history as the first African-American to win in this category and again as the first African-American woman to win multiple Oscars in any category.
In “Sinners”, which starred Michael B. Jordan, Carter drew on research from Black life in the South during the 1920s to create costumes that make the period and characters feel real. This project continues to reflect her passion to use visual storytelling to preserve and represent history. She was also nominated for her fifth Academy Award for her work in “Sinners”, making her the most nominated Black woman in Oscar history. Dean Rubinstein compares Carter’s ability to bring characters from the past to life to a character from the film. “Ruth Carter is like Sammie, the blues singer in Sinners, whose artistic genius opens the veil and awakens the spirits of the past and future,” Rubinstein said.
Carter’s impact on costume design has reached beyond the screen, in her traveling exhibition, Afrofuturism in Costume Design, and in her book, “The Art of Ruth E. Carter”. Both feature dozens of her costume designs from throughout her film career and offer insights into her creative process.
As Carter reflected on her journey in the place where it all began, she implored students to consider their own passions and visions of their future.
“While I tell you my story, I want you to think about your own,” Carter said. “What keeps calling your attention? What do you love enough to work at, even when nobody is applauding yet? And what clues might your life already be giving you?”
Recalling the path which eventually led her to redefine the world of costume design, Carter identifies passions that gradually led her to her career. She told students that while they might not know where the future will take them, to look within themselves to their interests. Ana Hutchinson, a junior at Springfield College reflected on Carter’s message following her presentation.
“I thought the talk was really good. I thought she was really inspiring — talking about following your dreams,” Hutchinson said.
Carter’s journey is a tribute to the possibilities the world has to offer. She emphasized that students should follow their own paths, not confining themselves to other’s expectations. Looking back at her career, Carter recognized every step which brought her to where she is today.
“I don’t only see the movies,” Carter said. “I see the journey. I see that little girl from Springfield. I see Hampton University. I see the theater. I see people who opened doors for me. I see people who challenged me. I see the moments when I had to believe in something before I could prove it.”
(Photo courtesy of Springfield College/Flickr)