The Hutchins Center for African and African American Research has named its 2026 cohort of W.E.B. Du Bois Medalists, including GRAY artist Theaster Gates.
The Du Bois Medal, first awarded in 2000, is Harvard’s highest honor in African and African American studies. The prize is named for scholar, author, and activist W.E.B. Du Bois, who became the first Black person to earn a Harvard Ph.D. in 1895. His enduring contributions include authoring the 1903 title “The Souls of Black Folk” and co-founding the N.A.A.C.P.
“This year’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medalists represent the highest traditions of excellence, imagination, and public service,” said Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and director of the Hutchins Center. “Through their extraordinary achievements in the arts, science, business, sports, and philanthropy, they have enlarged our understanding of what is possible and enriched the lives of people around the world.”
The awards will be presented during the annual Hutchins Center Honors ceremony on October 8 at 5 p.m.