Wil Haygood, whose books chronicle the struggles and triumphs of 20th-century Black Americans—from high-profile politicians to high school basketball players—will receive the 2022 Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. Haygood’s seminal works include Showdown, which details the contentious 1967 battle to get Thurgood Marshall onto the Supreme Court, and Tigerland, which followed athletes at an all-Black high school as they captured two state titles in Columbus, Ohio. His book The Butler, based on the life of Eugene Allen who served eight presidents at the White House, was adapted to become an award-winning film directed by Lee Daniels.
Coverage included: Associated Press, NPR, Library Journal, The Columbus Dispatch, ABC News, and Kirkus Reviews.
