Patricia Hill Collins, a sociologist and social theorist whose work set the stage for theoretical examinations of intersectionality, particularly among African-American women, has been awarded the 2023 Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture. The award is a testament to Collins’s immense contribution to the field of social justice and her monumental impact on the development of intersectional theory.
The prestigious Berggruen Prize is a $1 million award given to scholars and thinkers whose work has had a significant and lasting impact on the understanding of humanity and the advancement of culture. The Prize is awarded biennially to a distinguished scholar who “has made a lasting contribution to our world and our understanding of it.”
Collins is a highly esteemed academic and social theorist who has dedicated her life’s work to challenging and overturning oppressive systems of power, particularly those that affect African-American women. In her seminal work, Black Feminist Thought, Collins tackles the complexity of intersectionality and how it affects the lives of African-American women. Her work has been used as a foundational resource for further research into the intersection of race, gender, and class.
Moreover, Collins’s work has inspired generations of scholars who have carried on her work and continued to push the boundaries of intersectional thinking. Her teachings have allowed those who have been historically marginalized to gain a greater understanding of their own identities and to feel empowered to challenge the status quo.
In an interview with the Berggruen Institute, Collins said, “I’ve always been interested in understanding the social construction of power, particularly power as it operates among different groups of people. My work has been focused on understanding how power works in terms of how it’s used to oppress people and how people can use it to resist that oppression.”
In addition to her scholarly achievements, Collins is an esteemed professor and mentor to many. She is the Distinguished University Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland and has been a visiting professor at various institutions, including Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley.
Collins’s work is widely acclaimed and highly respected, and she has received numerous awards for her contributions to the field of social justice. She is a recipient of the American Sociological Association’s Jessie Bernard Award and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ W.E.B. Du Bois Career of Distinguished Scholarship Award, among many others.
The awarding of the Berggruen Prize to Collins is a fitting recognition of her immense contribution to the field of social justice. Her work has been a beacon of hope for countless people who have been historically marginalized and a source of inspiration for many. With her receiving this prestigious award, her legacy of challenging oppressive systems and advocating for social justice will be remembered for generations to come.
