John Lewis Award for History and Social Justice

The John Lewis Award for History and Social Justice was established in 2021 to recognize a historian for leadership and sustained engagement at the intersection of historical work, public culture, and social justice. The prize is offered annually and was established with an endowment gift from the Agentives Fund. The award is named in memory of John Lewis (1940–2020), the civil rights leader who represented Georgia in the United States House of Representatives for 34 years. Nominations are accepted for individuals and collaborative groups, including professional historians whose accomplishments exemplify the value of professional historical work to public culture and social justice. The current prize amount is $1,000. Recipients are announced in October and recognized during a ceremony at the AHA annual meeting in January.