Hooks Institute to Host National Book Award Presentation
Jan. 27, 2025 — The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis will present the Hooks National Book Award to Dr. Tanisha C. Ford, author of "Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement" on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.
The event, in partnership with the University of Memphis’ Graduate Association for African-American History (GAAAH), will include the award presentation and a lecture by Ford. There will be a reception, with light hors d’oeuvres, reminiscent of Mollie Moon’s soirees, at 5:30 p.m. at the Michael D. Rose Theatre at University of Memphis Central Campus.
This event is free and open to the public, although tickets are required and may be reserved through Eventbrite. Affordable and secure parking is available in the Zach Curlin Garage.
About “Our Secret Society”
Published by Amistad, "Our Secret Society" lifts up the central role of African American
Women in the Civil Rights Movement by tracing the life of Mollie Moon, founder and
president of the National Urban League Guild, and her fundraising efforts for activists
throughout the Civil Rights Movement. “It’s important to talk about the big names
in the Civil Rights Movement, but what really made the civil rights movement work
were the people that you don’t hear about a lot,” said Dr. Terrence Tucker, chair
and professor of English at the University of Memphis and chair of the Hooks National
Book Award Committee. Tucker added, “Something else that we don’t think about is money
and how the movement was paid for. Thinking about someone like Mollie Moon and the
money she raised through the National Urban League, the parties she had, the types
of people she interacted with, and the role that her fundraising events played not
only in raising funds for the Civil Rights Movement, but also in connecting people
like the Rockefellers with African American activists.” "Our Secret Society" won the
2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Work of Biography/Autobiography.
About Dr. Tanisha C. Ford
Dr. Tanisha C. Ford is a writer, researcher and cultural critic working at the intersection
of politics and culture. She has forged an international reputation for her groundbreaking
research on the history of Black style/fashion and social movements. Ford was honored
as one of The Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans. She authored "Liberated
Threads: Black Women, Style, and the Global Politics of Soul" and "Dressed in Dreams:
A Black Girl’s Love Letter to the Power of Fashion." She is currently a professor
of history at The Graduate Center, CUNY, where she teaches courses on African American
and African diaspora history, biography and memoir and the geopolitics of fashion.
Ford lives in Harlem.
About the Hooks National Book Award
The Hooks Institute's National Book Award is presented to a nonfiction 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 winner was chosen from a group
of 49 nominations covering a diverse field of subjects related to the civil rights
movement and its legacy.
Hooks National Book Award Committee
The Hooks Institute extends its gratitude to the Hooks National Book Award committee.
In addition to Dr. Terrence Tucker the committee includes Dr. Beverly Cross, Lillian
and Morrie Moss Chair of Excellence in Urban Education at the UofM; Dr. Aram Goudsouzian,
Bizot Family Professor of History at the UofM; Dr. Ladrica Menson-Furr, assistant
dean of the UofM College of Arts & Sciences, associate professor of English and director
of African and African American Studies and Dr. Shatavia Wynn, assistant professor
of religious studies and Africana studies at Rhodes College.
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.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Amy Ruggaber
Assistant Director
The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change
krggaber@memphis.edu