UofM's Hooks Institute Announces 2018 National Book Award Finalists
April 15, 2019 - The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis has selected the following finalists for the 2018 Hooks National Book Award: An American Odyssey: The Life and Work of Romare Bearden by Mary Schmidt Campbell; Let the People See: The Story of Emmett Till by Elliott J. Gorn; The Promise and the Dream: The Untold Story of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy by David Margolick; Set the World on Fire: Black Nationalist Women and the Global Struggle for Freedom by Keisha N. Blain; and Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing by Wil Haygood.
About the Hooks National Book Award
The Hooks Institute's National Book Award is presented to a non-fiction book published in the calendar year that best furthers understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement and its legacy. A panel of judges representing various disciplines and academic institutions in Memphis awards the annual honor.
The finalists were chosen from a group of 29 nominations covering a diverse field of subjects related to the civil rights movement and its legacy. The winner of the 2018 Hooks National Book Award will be selected this summer. The winning author will present a lecture at the University of Memphis.
"This year's nominees for the annual book award given by the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change were especially impressive, exploring a range of critical topics critical to understanding the civil rights movement and its legacy," said Dr. Aram Goudsouzian, Hooks National Book Award Committee chair and chair of the UofM History Department. "The five finalists were especially noteworthy not only for the rigor and quality of their research, but also their ability to reach audiences beyond academia. Such books can help spur important conversations about race and justice – in the past, present and future."
About the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change
The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute implements its mission of teaching, studying and promoting civil rights and social change through research, education and direct intervention programs. Institute programs include community outreach; funding faculty research initiatives on community issues; implementing community service projects; hosting conferences, symposiums and lectures; and promoting local and national scholarship on civil and human rights. The Hooks Institute is an interdisciplinary center at the University of Memphis. Contributed revenue for the Hooks Institute, including funding from individuals, corporations and foundations, is administered through the University of Memphis Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.
For more information, visit memphis.edu/benhooks/programs/book-award.php.
CONTACT
Nathaniel C. Ball l 901.678.3655 | ncball@memphis.edu