Yvonne Williams Receives Celebrated Elder Award

Honor recognizes her efforts to advance Black/Africana Studies Programs

Yvonne Williams, longtime professor and administrator at The College of Wooster, recently received the Paul Robeson and Zora Neal Hurston Celebrated Elder Award for Outstanding Leadership and Service in the Promotion of Black Studies.

The award, which is presented annually by the National Council for Black Studies (NCBS), recognized her contributions to the development and promotion of Africana Studies at The College of Wooster, DePauw University, and the Great Lakes Colleges Association Black Studies Conference. Williams has delivered numerous lectures on a host of Black Studies topics, organized several faculty workshops, and provided exemplary leadership for Black Studies programs at Wooster and DePauw. In addition, she has served on the Board of Directors of the NCBS since 2003.

“It was totally unexpected, but I was thrilled to receive this award,” said Williams. “The National Council for Black Studies has meant a great deal to me in my professional career. I have been a part of it almost since its inception and give it credit as the driving force behind the growth and legitimization of Black/Africana Studies in the Academy. I am proud to be recognized by this organization.”

Williams was honored during the 34th annual conference of the National Council for Black Studies last month in New Orleans. In acknowledging her work, Charles E. Jones, president of NCBS, said, “Professor Williams is the consummate Africana Studies scholar. She has consistently promoted the discipline throughout her distinguished academic career.”