Honors & Awards

Dr. Laurencin, professor at the University of Connecticut, has been a dedicated supporter of the West Indian community. In 2015, the West Indian Foundation presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Earlier this year, Dr. Laurencin was knighted by King Charles III of England through the Governor-General of St. Lucia.

PEN America has honored Frank X Walker of the University of Kentucky, Kali Nicole Gross of Emory University in Atlanta, and Charles Henry Rowell of Texas A&M University for their achievement in poetry, African American history, and magazine editing, respectively.

Professor Jacobs-Jenkins recent win for his drama, Purpose, makes him the first Black playwright to receive the Tony Award for Best Play since 1987. Additionally, he is now the first Black playwright to win back-to-back Tony Awards. Last year, his play Appropriate won Best Revival of a Play.

Dr. White, an associate professor in the division of infectious diseases at the UNC School of Medicine, was recognized for her pioneering research and leadership in improving care and reducing health disparities among prisoners with HIV.

Throughout his long career in academia, Dr. Gates has made groundbreaking contributions to understanding the genealogical history of African Americans. His work has resulted in dozens of books, documentaries, and the popular "Finding Your Roots" series on PBS.

Norsworthy, an assistant professor at Temple University, is being recognized for her work elevating faith-based recording artists to mainstream media outlets.

While teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Professor Stone collaborated with The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education compiling a number of directories of African Americans who held endowed professorships at U.S. colleges and universities.

Percival Everett of the University of Southern California, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins of Yale University, and Edda Fields-Black of Carnegie Mellon University have received Pulitzer Prizes in fiction, drama, and history, respectively.

The Association of American Publishers has presented the 2025 PROSE Excellence Award in Humanities to Matthew Morrison for his book Blacksound: Making Race and Popular Music in the United States.

Crystal Sanders' award-winning book, A Forgotten Migration: Black Southerners, Segregation Scholarships, and the Debt Owed to Public HBCUs, explores Black southerners' efforts to secure post-baccalaureate education during the era of legal segregation.

"I am immensely proud of our students," said Karl Twyner, dean of humanities at Rust College. "They worked diligently to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Through it, they gained international exposure for themselves and the college, received valuable feedback from world-class judges, and created lifelong memories."

A leading authority on social equity in government, Dr. Gooden currently serves as dean of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The Honda All-Star Challenge is an annual academic competition for students and faculty at historically Black colleges and universities. This year's top finisher, Hampton University, received a $100,000 grant for their win.

"I accept this award not as an individual milestone, but as a celebration of the collective—of every student, every partner, every institution that dared to believe in the power of education to liberate, elevate, and transform," said Dr. Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund.

A Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Boutte is a scholar of promoting anti-racism and pro-Blackness within education.

Dr. Simpson is an associate professor and chair of the department of mathematics at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. She studies the design of clinical trials, the metrics of aging, and initiatives to increase diversity in the field of statistics.

Claflin University President Dwaun Warmack has had an extensive career in student affairs and higher education, including service with several historically Black universities. Before assuming the Claflin presidency in 2019, he spent five years as president of Harris-Stowe State University.

"Investing in HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs yields exponential returns, as these institutions serve as engines of economic growth, social mobility, and ladders of opportunity for millions of students and their communities," write the authors. "Their work goes beyond addressing historical inequities; it is essential to building a stronger, more inclusive, and more competitive future for the nation."

A distinguished professor at Texas Southern University, Dr. Bullard is a leading scholar in the field of environmental justice. He currently serves as founding director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice.

The Debate Team at historically Black Texas Southern University has won the Speech and Debate Tournament held by the International Forensic Association, marking the team's fifth IFA championship.