Africology and African American Studies Awards

Department Awards & Scholarships

Undergraduate and graduate students in the Africology and African American Studies Department are eligible to be nominated for the following awards and scholarships. Superior academic achievement is a prerequisite for nomination.

• The Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Award is given to a successful student who best represents the department’s commitment to community work and public action. Harper was a Black abolitionist, suffragist, poet, temperance activist, teacher, public speaker and writer. One of the first African American women to be published in the United States in 1845, Harper became a public figure who championed Black women’s suffrage and educational goals in 19th century Philadelphia.
• The Annie D. Hyman Award is given to a successful student to honor the founder of the Pan-African Studies Community Education Program (PASCEP) at Temple University. In 1975, Ms. Hyman pioneered the PASCEP education program for adults initiating GED courses. Under Ms. Hyman’s leadership, PASCEP instituted a prison program and collaborated with Temple students conducting workshops, Kwanzaa programs and teaching courses for the inmates at Graterford Prison.
• The Octavius V. Catto Award is named for the renowned African American activist, leader and teacher who best articulated the goals and objectives of the African American community in Philadelphia. He was martyred while promoting voter registration, on the first Election Day, after passage of the 15th Amendment in 1871. The award recognizes the successful student who demonstrates, in particular, foremost dedication and academic excellence in sociopolitical issues that concern Black society. The department recognizes Catto’s contribution to freedom at an annual ceremony near his monument at Philadelphia’s City Hall.
• The Stephen P. Couvillion Scholarship is established to honor the memory of a former graduate student who studied in our department from 2008–2010. Initiated by Stephen’s family, the scholarship is awarded to the successful MA student who demonstrates unusual initiative and academic commitment to research and scholarship. The Stephen P. Couvillion Award represents one of the highest and most prestigious awards given in the department.