Swarthmore College Student Named Marshall Scholar

When the British Consulate in New York called Emma Morgan-Bennett, Swarthmore College class of 2020, to congratulate her on becoming a Marshall Scholar, she started shaking. It was partly in response to the news, partly because she was taking an ice bath.

“I was in a bit of shock until my [volleyball] teammates and I jumped out of the bath and started screaming together,” says the Honors medical anthropology special major from New York, N.Y. “And then, of course, I couldn’t stop smiling.”

Morgan-Bennett is one of just 46 students from around the U.S. to receive the highly selective honor this year. The Marshall scholarship invites burgeoning leaders to embark on graduate studies in the U.K. She will pursue a masters in anthropology of media and intensive language at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Morgan-Bennett’s application for the Marshall stemmed directly from her thesis: a written and visual ethnography entitled “The Black Maternal Health Crisis and Radical Doulas.”

“I became interested in how public health institutions can better use visual mediums to develop more effective interventions in partnership with local communities to address health disparities surrounding race and reproduction,” says Morgan-Bennett, who is also a trained doula and the leader of SwatDoulas.

Morgan-Bennett relishes the chance to immerse herself in the U.K.’s vivid performing arts culture. “I’m especially looking forward to checking out London’s live music scene, as they have some of the most exciting new R&B artists,” she says. “And I’ve always dreamed of attending [the Edinburgh Fringe Festival].”

Those interests align with Morgan-Bennett’s time in Swarthmore College’s artistic community. She sings in a band called Funk the Patriarchy, has acted in student plays, and produced Swarthmore’s first annual RevFest, a visual and performing arts exhibition created by and for the college’s artists of color.

“I’ve felt a growing appreciation for the power of the arts to foster community and joy,” she says, “even when delving into conversations about marginalization and trauma that can, at times, feel so overwhelming to approach.”

“Over these past four years, I know that I’ve met young people who will become the leaders of tomorrow, and that together we are committed to expanding the global definitions of inclusion and justice,” Morgan-Bennett adds. “That’s a special gift.”

Published in partnership with Swarthmore College.