Marcia Chatelain of Georgetown University Is the 2020 Hooks National Book Award Winner

The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis has named Marcia Chatelain, a professor of history and African American studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., as the 2020 Hooks National Book Award Winner. The Hooks Institute presents its National Book Award to a non-fiction book published in the calendar year that best furthers understanding of the American civil rights movement and its legacy.

Dr. Chatelain was honored for her book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America (Liveright, 2020). She previously won the Pulitzer Prize in history for the same book.

“Since it started in 2010, the annual book award given by the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change has attracted outstanding nominations,” said Aram Goudsouzian, Bizot Family Professor of History at the University of Memphis and chair of the Hooks National Book Award Committee. “This year, the overall quality of the five finalists was exceptional. Dr. Chatelain’s Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America stood out to the book award committee for the depth of its research, the quality of the writing, and especially for its astute analysis.”

A native of Chicago, Professor Chatelain also authored South Side Girls: Growing Up in the Great Migration (Duke University Press, 2015). Before joining the faculty at Georgetown, she was a Reach for Excellence Assistant Professor of Honors and African American Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. Chatelain is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where she majored in religious studies and journalism. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in American civilization from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs