National Medal of the Humanities

I want to use my post this month to briefly highlight an exciting moment for the field of African American History: last week’s awarding of the National Medal of the Humanities.  On September 10th, President Obama awarded the National Medal of the Humanities to 9 outstanding humanists and one outstanding institution. Among the list of scholars, novelists, and activists honored was one preeminent scholar of African American history, Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham. Follow these links for information about the awardees, as well as a clip from the ceremony at the White House.

As Chad Williams writes of Higginbotham, she “sees the work ahead as ‘a duty, not just a privilege.'” Let us all carry that sensibility as we continue to pursue and uncover the history of African Americans.