Black Excellence: MacArthur Fellows Program names record number of Black “genius” winners
The MacArthur Fellows Program, commonly known as the Genius Grant, is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation that selects approximately 30 individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits. This year, it has been announced that 25 creative pioneers were selected for the genius grant. A pivotal and historical moment of this year’s selection is that 11 of the 25 recipients are African-American!
With this fellowship, each recipient will receive a “no strings attached” stipend of $625,000 that aims to help grantees advance their work. The grants are awarded based on three criteria: exceptional creativity, a track record of significant accomplishments, and potential for future creative work. Let’s take a look at a few of the extraordinary fellows that exemplify “Black Excellence”
Ibram X. Kendi
Ibram Kendi is a professor, anti-racist activist, and author. He is known for providing an in-depth understanding of racist ideology to present a framework for building a more equitable society. From his platform, he advances national conversations around anti-Black racism and the possibilities for accountability and repair grounded in historical context. His most recent book, “How to Be An Antiracist” became a New York Times No. 1 bestseller. Kendi was also included in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
Jordan Casteel
Jordan Casteel is an American figurative painter that develops intimate portraits of friends, lovers, family members as well as neighbors and strangers in Harlem and New York. Casteel’s work comes from personal and deeper meanings targeted to represent people and their surroundings. Upon receiving the good news on her fellow selection, Jordan says “There has never been a moment in history where ‘Black Excellence’ did not prevail. It is a phrase that is synonymous with the Black experience. Black people have always persevered, whether the light was shown on them or not. We are currently in the moment of light, and it is shining very bright. It is important for people to see how brilliant and multifaceted our communities are, and to recognize our collective genius.”
Ibrahim Cisse
Ibrahim Cisse is a Nigerian-American biological physicist dedicated to improving understanding of supramolecular dynamics of gene regulation and the biomolecular condensation processes in live cells. Cisse is currently an Associate Professor of Physics and Biology at MIT. Upon being a MacArhtur fellow, he has received multiple prestigious awards in his work to push the limits of quantitative microscopy. Ibrahim states, “For me as a scientist who is also Black, and a graduate of an HBCU in North Carolina Central University, I am in awe of the works that many of this year’s fellows are doing in the Black Community and for immigrants and communities of colors.”
Other notable recipients are: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Hanif M. Abdurraqib, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Nicole Fleetwood, Jacqueline Stewart, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Desmond Meade, and Safiya Noble.
It brings great joy in reading about influential people like the ones described above! Lets continue to celebrate their accomplishments!!
