Columbia College Black Alumni

Jennifer Dahlberg CC ‘93

By Uzo Ometu

Jennifer Dahlberg graduated from Columbia University in 1993. She is a published novelist who released her book “Uptown and Down” in October of 2005.

After graduating from the College, Jennifer became a consultant for an executive search firm. She never thought her dream of becoming a novelist would materialize as she got caught up in the busy world of business. But when her Swedish fiancé proposed to her in 1997, she moved to Stockholm where the nation’s uniqueness inspired her to start writing.

The book is essentially about music industry entrepreneurs who experience the pressures of business while remaining true to their principles. The book brings issue with Blacks who finally achieve success and how they deal with it. But the real story is Jennifer, who spent over 4 years trying to get her book published. She tried not to let the thought of finding an agent and publisher consume her life, but she was eased with the pressures with her children and enjoyable seven years spent in Stockholm.

When her book finally got picked up by Penguin, she moved back to the United States. And since her book and her life have heavily been faced with issues of race, she has moved to the international feel of Riverdale where race is not a prominent issue. She has appeared at several bookstores and venues to promote her book, including the Howard University Bookstore in Washington D.C.

Within the last year, Jennifer has recently been appointed a Board Member of the Greenwich Arts Council and she has also had thoughts of writing her next book. She is working on getting in the zone for writing her new idea, and is looking forward to being with her family with her new portable career.