Southern Miss Professor Receives National Council for Black Studies Award

Dr. Curtis Austin, University of Southern Mississippi associate professor of history and Center for Black Studies director, recently received a national award at The National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) convention in Cincinnati, Ohio.

NCBS presented Austin with the Mary McLeod Bethune & Carter G. Woodson Award for Outstanding Service in the Promotion of Social Responsibility in Africana Studies Award.

"Because most of the awards go to faculty members from places like Cornell, Rutgers, Harvard, and other Ivy League and Research 1 institutions, I was pleasantly surprised to hear my name called at the banquet during the awards ceremony,” said Austin.  “To receive an award from such a prestigious organization like the NCBS is an honor I'll cherish for a long time.”

Austin joined more than 500 professionals from around the world at the NCBS national convention themed “Health and the Black Community” March 17 – 19. The event brought scholars, community leaders and students together to discuss a range of issues from healthcare disparities to politics, history, religion and education.

Austin is recognized as a leading scholar of the black freedom movement. His book “Up Against the Wall: Violence in the Making and Unmaking of the Black Panther Party” was published in 2006 by the University of Arkansas Press. Under Austin's direction, the Center for Black Studies hosts lectures at Southern Miss featuring civil rights activists and scholars.