UIC historian receives national service award

Barbara Ransby, the John D. MacArthur Chair and LAS Distinguished Professor of Black Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, and History at the University of Illinois Chicago, has received the Roy Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of American Historians. The award is one of the field's highest honors, recognizing exceptional service to the historical profession and the public understanding of American history.

The award is given annually to individuals whose contributions have significantly enriched the understanding and appreciation of American history. Through decades of scholarship, mentorship and public engagement, Ransby has helped shape the study of African American history, social movements and Black feminist thought.

An internationally recognized historian, Ransby is the author of several influential books, including "Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision," a landmark biography of the civil rights organizer that received multiple national awards, and "Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson," which explores the life and political work of writer and activist Eslanda Goode Robeson. Her scholarship highlights the intellectual traditions and organizing strategies that have shaped movements for racial justice and democracy in the United States.

At UIC, Ransby also directs the Social Justice Initiative, a university program that connects academic scholarship with community organizing and public dialogue. Through this work, she has helped foster collaborations among scholars, students, activists and community leaders working to advance social justice.

Ransby's career reflects a commitment to bringing historical scholarship into conversation with contemporary public life. Through her research, teaching and leadership, she continues to expand the role historians can play in deepening public understanding of the past and its connection to present-day struggles for equality and justice.

- Jonathan Cecero, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences