Carlton Winfrey, an editorial writer and columnist for The Seattle Times in Washington, is an additional finalist in the over 35,000 circulation category of the Columns category of the Carmage Walls Commentary Prize competition.
His contest entry included three columns:
First column:
A Seattle man's 19th-century quilts tell our story of slavery and freedom
Winfrey said a chance meeting with Jim Tharpe resulted in them taking a road trip to his ancestral home in Tennessee. Winfrey shared with readers his family's painful history, which had
similarities to Tharpe's. After publishing, he has received offers to showcase and house his historic quilts.
Second column:
A lot of ‘what ifs’ still loom in death of Manuel Ellis
In this column, Winfrey wrote about traveling to Tacoma, Washington, to retrace the steps of Manuel Lewis, a young Black man who was hogtied and killed by police months before George Floyd. Many in law enforcement defended the practice, and the acquittal of the officers fueled support for aggressive policing. Winfrey asked the question: What if both parties made different choices? And, he drew attention to the life that was lost.
Third column
If mayhm ruled at your Seattle park, would the city drag its feet?
In this column, Winfrey wrote about a yearslong issue of noise
and violence, including slayings at his neighborhood park. Within weeks the city increased patrols, reduced park hours and installed a gate that closes at 10 p.m.
Among the comments made by contest judges:
