The MacArthur Foundation is known to support creative individuals and productive institutions dedicated to building a more fair, green, and peaceful world. Every year the foundation awards 21 “genius grants” to extraordinary people, who are on track to make significant contributions to our planet. Of those selected 21 recipients, four Black ‘geniuses’ are among the crème de la crème.
Jennifer Eberhardt, Rick Lowe, Steve Coleman and Terrance Hayes will each receive a “no-strings-attached” stipend of $625,000, paid out over the next five years. From the arts to community revitalization to new insights about race imagery and judgments, each individual is on the cusp of greatness.
All four individuals have worked tirelessly in their respected fields. Coleman, an alto saxophonist and composer, established M-Base Concepts, Inc., which provides a supportive environment for musical experimentation and original performance. Eberhardt, a social psychologist and a graduate of Harvard University, works with law enforcement agencies to create interventions that will help improve policing and aid in building and maintaining trust with the communities they serve. Lowe, a trained painter, founded Project Row Houses (PRH), which helps rebuild struggling Black communities. Last but certainly not least, Hayes, a poet and savvy wordsmith, uses his love for poetry to tackle social issues such as race and gender.
In their own way, as stated in the press release, “Together, they expand our view of what is possible, and they inspire us to apply our own talents and imagination.”
To see the entire list of fellows visit The MacArthur Foundation.
Click through to learn more about the 2014 MacArthur Genius Grant Fellows!
Jennifer L. Eberhardt
Social Psychologist
“I think getting this (grant) speaks to people’s sense that this is the kind of work that needs to be done,” said recipient Jennifer Eberhardt, a Stanford University social psychologist who has researched racial stereotypes and crime. (AP)
Click here to learn more about Social Psychologist Jennifer L. Eberhardt, 2014 MacArthur Fellow.
Steve Coleman
Jazz Composer and Saxophonist
The MacArthur Foundation praised the 57-year-old Coleman for “infusing iconic spontaneous music idioms with the melodic, rhythmic and structural components of an eclectic range of musical traditions to create a distinctive new sound.” (LA Times)
Click here to learn more about Jazz Composer and Saxophonist Steve Coleman, 2014 MacArthur Fellow.
Rick Lowe
Public Artist
“His work in Dallas in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood continues as a transformative site of social and cultural interaction, helping change our relationship to this vibrant area of the city. The McArthur Fellowship will allow Lowe to further his artistic efforts toward bridging the gaps between art and everyday life in urban areas.” (Dallas News)
Click here to learn more about Public Artist Rick Lowe, 2014 MacArthur Fellow.
Terrance Hayes
Poet
The MacArthur Foundation said Mr. Hayes, 42, “is a poet who reflects on race, gender, and family in works marked by formal dexterity and a reverence for history and the artistry of crafting verse. … In creating works that seamlessly and meaningfully encompass both the historical and the personal, Hayes is extending the possibilities of language and pushing the art of poetry toward places altogether new.” (Post Gazette)
Click here to learn more about Poet Terrance Hayes, 2014 MacArthur Fellow.
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