McIntosh Bazile (MALS, cultural studies) was awarded the 2025 Byam Shaw-Brownstone Thesis Excellence Award for his thesis, From Silence to Song.
What do you consider your hometown and how has it shaped who you are today?
I consider Philadelphia to be my hometown–it was where I was primarily raised. The city has shaped me through its complexity, its beauty, and contradictions.
Growing up Haitian-American in Philly, I learned to navigate systems that didn’t always value me, but also discover deep joy, resistance, and creativity in black communities. That tension–between being seen and being erased–informs my work.
Where did you earn your undergraduate degree and what was it in?
I earned my undergraduate degree—a bachelor of science—from Drexel University in health sciences. Later, I completed a certificate in creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania.
Tell us about your thesis.
My thesis explores the intersections of mourning, memory, and imagination in Black life. I center Toni Morrison’s Beloved and the historical case of Maragaret Garner to examine how narrative and critical fabulation can reclaim silenced stories. Inspired by the works Saidiyah Hartman, Christina Sharpe, Kimberly Juanita Brown, Hortense spillers, and others, I argue that creativity is not simply a tool for storytelling–it’s a method of ethical engagement with the archive, the past, and the unspoken.
I understood this work intimately through the experiences I’ve dealt with with patients in the medical field–individuals oftentimes misread, ignored, and how we must find new language, new grammar, to make space for the fullness of Black humanity.
What does it mean to you to receive the MALS thesis award?
It’s incredibly humbling. I’ve often struggled with feeling like an outsider, along with giving myself compliments–and as a Virgo, giving myself compliments doesn’t come easily–so this means more than I can say. It’s a reminder that the stories we share matter, and that healing and scholarship don’t have to live in separate rooms.
Why did you choose Dartmouth to pursue your degree?
I chose Dartmouth because I wanted to study cultural theory in a more critical, interdisciplinary way—one that allowed room for freedom and experimentation. I was drawn to Professor Donald Pease’s work and what the MALS program had to offer: the ability to interweave the study of race, health, and memory into one degree. I needed a space where I could take risks—and grow. (Literally—like the tree on the “D” in Dartmouth, haha; talk about a sign!)
What’s one challenge you faced in graduate school, and how did you overcome it?
One of the hardest challenges was believing in my voice–especially when I felt dismissed or overlooked. As someone who came from a non-traditional background, and who didn’t always receive encouragement, it was easy to second-guess myself.
But I found strength in the work itself, in conversations with a few trusted mentors, and in practice of writing though the discomfort. I learned that showing up fully even when it’s hard, is a kind of resistance too.
What’s next for you—and what are you most looking forward to in this new chapter?
This fall, I’ll be attempting to convince Sallie Mae to stay far away from me—just kidding. I’ll be starting my PhD in Afro-American Studies at UMass Amherst. I’m excited to continue working in Black feminist theory and thought. Most of all, I’m looking forward to teaching, mentoring, and creating work that speaks beyond the academy.
What is your favorite place or activity that you like best in the Hanover area?
I love taking walks by Occom Pond. There’s something about the stillness of it that helped me breathe on the harder days. Hanover has a quiet beauty that gave me space to think deeply–and feel deeply too.
