Awards

 AWARDS

The 2024 submission window has closed.



BWSA is pleased to announce the 2024 Cheryl A. Wall Graduate Student Paper Prize and Toni Cade Bambara Article Prize for the best works in Black Women’s Studies! We will accept submissions from December 1, 2023 to April 15, 2024. Please see below for information about how to submit your work for consideration. To download a PDF of the submission instructions, click here.

Due to the volume of submissions, we are not able to provide feedback on submissions.

Cheryl A. Wall Graduate Student Paper Prize

The Black Women’s Studies Association invites submissions for the Cheryl A. Wall Graduate Student Paper Prize. Cheryl A. Wall was known for championing racial diversity in literary scholarship. Dr. Wall was an author, literary critic, and longtime professor at Rutgers University. Her work encouraged the presence of Black women in English literature and academia. She advocated for more Black students to major in English and pursue postgraduate degrees. In keeping with Dr. Wall’s commitment, this prize will recognize an outstanding unpublished, original paper by an emerging student scholar that fosters scholarship that centers Black women. The competition is open to all graduate students at accredited institutions, regardless of their disciplinary specialization. The paper will be evaluated on its creativity, relevance, clarity, engagement, and the potential to impact the study of Black women.

Submission Instructions

  • Submissions will only be accepted from current members of the Black Women's Studies Association. To join BWSA, click here. If you are unsure whether your membership is current, email contact@blackwomensstudies.com.

  • Papers should be between 15 to 20 pages, including notes, tables, and references.

  • The paper should be double-spaced, including references.

  • Papers are to be formatted in Times New Roman 12-point font with 1-inch margins.

  • Submissions must include a CV of 3 pages max.

  • Authors must complete a submission form on the BWSA website with the paper's title and their contact information, institutional affiliation, and degree program, Once you complete the form, you will be redirected to Dropbox to upload your paper and CV. Please upload documents as a single file. The submission form is available here.

  • Please direct any questions to the Committee Chair, Dr. Danielle Procope Bell, at awards@blackwomensstudies.com.

Prize

A prize in the amount of $250.00 will be awarded to the winner.

Deadline

The submission window will open on December 1, 2023. The deadline is April 1, 2024.

Please do not send any submissions or documentation directly to the committee members.


Toni Cade Bambara Article Prize

The Black Women’s Studies Association invites submissions for the Toni Cade Bambara Article Prize. Toni Cade Bambara, born Miltona Mirkin Cade, was an accomplished African American author, scriptwriter, documentary filmmaker, social activist, and college professor. Bambara’s work is recognized as a call for social change and action to reclaim our narratives. She believed this work was an issue of salvation and critical to saving our lives. The prize dedicated to the memory of Toni Cade Bambara will recognize exceptional research that centers Black women. The Toni Cade Bambara Article Prize will be awarded to work exemplifying scholarly excellence. The article will be judged on originality, creativity, relevance, clarity, engagement, and its contribution to the field of Black Women’s Studies.

Submission Instructions

  • Submissions will only be accepted from current members of the Black Women's Studies Association. To join BWSA, click here. If you are unsure whether your membership is current, email contact@blackwomensstudies.com.

  • The article must have been published in an academic journal (online or in print) between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023.

  • You must submit a PDF of the official, final version of the published article. We will not accept page proofs of work that has not yet been published.

  • Submissions must include a CV of 3 pages max.

  • Authors must complete a submission form on the BWSA website with the article's title, the journal issue in which it appeared, their contact information, and their institutional affiliation. Once you complete the form, you will be redirected to Dropbox to upload your article and CV. Please upload documents as a single file. The submission form is available here.

  • Please direct any questions to the Committee Chair, Dr. Danielle Procope Bell, at awards@blackwomensstudies.com.

Prize

A prize in the amount of $250.00 will be awarded to the winner.

Deadline

The submission window will open on December 1, 2023. The deadline is April 15, 2024.

Please do not send any submissions or documentation directly to committee members.