The Dorothy Porter Wesley Award
Ms. Deborah L. Dandridge, Bibliophile, Historian, Archivist, and Professor
The Dorothy Porter Wesley Award was established in 2018 by the Information Professionals of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) to honor and document the outstanding work of Information Professionals; Bibliophiles, Librarians, Archivists, Curators and Collectors. Many of our Information Professionals have also played a major role in supporting the work of ASALH, by serving in leadership roles and as members.
The collections these individuals have built serve as a catalyst for research and continuous learning for scholars and the communities they serve and forms the very foundation of collections in our institutions of higher education. The work of Dr. Dorothy Porter Wesley exemplifies what a recipient of this award must do and how they serve. They must have done one or more of the following:
- Worked to preserve resources of African American History and Culture;
- Promoted teaching, research and scholarship of African American Studies, African Diaspora Studies and the community story;
- Collaborated with other educators to endorse research and study of African Americans and the diaspora, and
- Created and developed collections that support the research of the above areas.
For many years these individuals have sought to preserve African American history. They have the desire and fortitude to document the past for future generations and to forge an interconnectedness between their institutions and respective communities.
“Black Bibliophiles” run through our history like an unseen hand.” Their influence is presented in many of the major developments of our historical experiences.” Dorothy Porter Wesley stated; “Had it not been for these men and a few women, hundreds of volumes needed today for research would not be in our major collections.
Click here for a Bio of Dorothy Porter Wesley
2018
W. Paul Coates
2019
Charles L. Blockson
2021
Janet Sims-Wood