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Open to US citizens and non US citizens
Deadline: 03/12/2025 (Tentative)

Below is a list of prizes awarded annually by the Center for Africana Studies:

The John Edgar Wideman Prize in Africana Studies

Named in honor of University of Pennsylvania alumnus, author and the first director of the Afro-American Studies Program, this prize is awarded annually for the best undergraduate Africana Studies (African American or Diaspora) essay in literature or the arts. Prize recipient is awarded $250. Students may submit an essay previously written for a course.

The Buchi Emecheta Prize in African Studies

Named in honor of celebrated Nigerian novelist, children's writer, screenplay writer and autobiographer, this prize is awarded annually for the best undergraduate essay on African language, literature (in any language, written or oral), music or the arts. Prize recipient is awarded $250. Students may submit an essay previously written for a course.

The W.E.B Du Bois Prize in Africana Studies

Named in honor of University of Pennsylvania sociologist and Pan-Africanist, this prize is awarded annually for the best undergraduate Africana Studies (African American or Diaspora) essay in history or the social sciences. Prize recipient is awarded $250. Students may submit an essay previously written for a course.

The Nnamdi Azikiwe Prize in African Studies

Named in honor of the first president of independent Nigeria, this prize is awarded for the best undergraduate African Studies essay in history or any of the social or natural sciences. Prize recipient is awarded $250. Students may submit an essay previously written for a course.

The Center for Africana Studies Distinguished Student Prize

This prize awards $500 toward graduate school expenses to an exceptional student who will pursue graduate study in Africana Studies (African continent, African American or Diaspora). For consideration, students should submit a one-page statement that discusses their proposed graduate study, research plans and a letter of support from a faculty member who is familiar with the student's work and graduate school plans.

Click here to learn more and apply for any of the Center for Africana Studies Annual Prizes.

Funding Type

Details:

Research Offering Type

Senior Thesis Award

Undergraduate School

College

Source

Penn

Contact Information

Questions may be submitted to the Center for Africana Studies at africana@sas.upenn.edu