AAHGS names 2026 award honorees in history, genealogy and books

The Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society has announced its 2026 national award recipients and International AAHGS Books Awards honorees, recognizing service, scholarship and literary work tied to African-ancestored history. The honors span volunteers, chapters and authors across multiple genres, with the goal of preserving and expanding access to these stories.

Why it matters: - AAHGS uses these awards to spotlight people and works that preserve African-ancestored history, genealogy and cultural heritage. - The recognition reaches beyond academic research to include volunteer service, chapter leadership and literature for children, young adults and general readers. - The awards help surface histories and family narratives that can be harder to find in mainstream recordkeeping and publishing.

What happened: - The Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. announced its 2026 National Award recipients and the honorees for the International AAHGS Books Awards®. - The society said the awards celebrate individuals, volunteers, chapters and authors who advance preservation and sharing of African-ancestored history, genealogy and cultural heritage. - The announcement was issued Oct. 22, 2026, from Washington, D.C.

The details: - Dr. Stanton F. Biddle received the James Dent Walker Award posthumously. - Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-C.M. Boxley received the Paul Edward Sluby, Sr. and Jean Sampson-Scott Meritorious Achievement Awards. - Leland Owen Clark received the Marcia M. Greenlee History Award. - William O. Ritchie Jr., PhD, received the Elizabeth Clark-Lewis Genealogy Award. - Taneya Koonce and Tamu M. Taylor received Distinguished National Service Awards. - Dawnya Lindsey and Jeanette Madison received President’s Awards. - Stephen Townson, Stephanie Powers, Dr. Tamiquia T. Simon and Michelle Evans Oliver received On-The-Spot Awards. - Sandhills Chapter in North Carolina was named Chapter of the Year. - Certificates of Appreciation went to the 2025 Elections Committee: Brenda Williams, Stephanie Woods Miller, Johnetta Miner, Clevlyn Anderson and Bettina Y. Falwell. - Certificates of Appreciation also went to the Programs & Education Committee research facilitators: Dr. Tamiquia T. Simon, Kelly McCoy, Doris A. Wright and TaMara Powell. - AAHGS said the International AAHGS Books Awards® program honors authors whose work expands understanding of African-ancestored narratives through children’s literature, young adult literature, historical fiction, nonfiction and poetry. - Honored titles include Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy’s Jay-Jay the Giraffe and Looking for the Murphy Farm. - Honored titles also include Rahimah Rahim’s Daughter of Timbuktu and Carol A. Baldwin’s Half-Truths. - Other recognized works include Dr. Dana D. Williams’ My Family of Elders: Reflective Short Stories and the Lessons Learned and Denise R. Hayman’s A Black Sailor and Soldiers: “Thay Might Get A Hanceum Livehud For Themselves And There's”. - Additional honorees include Courtney Thornton for The Sun Knows Her Name, J. C. Moore for The Light-Bearer and the Darkness: Ancestors’ Shame and David J. Mason for The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes – Novella. - Sarah Valentine was recognized for Decoding the Devil: Black Women Codebreakers and the Secret War Against Stalin’s Bomb. - Daniel E. Atkinson, PhD, was recognized for The Rediscovery of George “Nash” Walker: The Price of Black Stardom in Jim Crow. - Andrea R. Martin was recognized for Caroline’s Claim: The Remarkable Story of Calhoun Street. - Michael Carter, Jr. was recognized for Africulture: How the Principles, Practices, Plants, and People of African Descent Have Shaped American Agriculture. - Stephen Gray was recognized for One Voice Of A People. - Christine B. Carpenter was recognized for John Henry, Jim Crow & Me. - The books were published by a mix of presses including Tapped Potential Publishing, Monarch Educational Press, Xulon Press, Weird Disciple Publishing, KenCee Publishers, HMG ePublishing, LLC, HarperCollins, SUNY Press and Chelsea Green Publishing.

Between the lines: - The awards show AAHGS trying to widen the field of what counts as preservation work, from archival and genealogical service to storytelling and public history. - The mix of honorees suggests the society is also trying to connect scholarly work with accessible books that can reach younger readers and broader audiences. - Posthumous recognition for Dr. Stanton F. Biddle signals the organization’s emphasis on legacy as well as current service.

What's next: - AAHGS is likely to continue using its annual awards to elevate scholarship, volunteer leadership and publication efforts tied to African-ancestored history. - The organization said it remains focused on preserving family history, genealogy and cultural diversity by teaching research techniques and sharing information with the community. - AAHGS maintains social media presence on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

The bottom line: - AAHGS is using its 2026 awards to reward the people and books keeping African-ancestored history visible, documented and accessible.