ACLS Board Secretary Dana Williams Nominated for NAACP Image Award

Dana A. Williams, Dean of the Howard University Graduate School and Secretary of the ACLS Board of Directors, has been nominated for a 2026 NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography category for her book Toni at Random. Other authors in the category include Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and Lionel Richie.

Toni at Random (HarperCollins) explores the iconic writer Toni Morrison’s time as an editor at Random House and her impact on American publishing. It has been featured in the New York Times, The Guardian, and on NPR.

Williams is a specialist in contemporary African American Literature. Prior to serving as Dean at Howard, she served as Chair of English at Howard University for nine years. She has also previously served as president of the Modern Language Association, College Language Association, and the Association of Departments of English. In 2016, she was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as a member of the National Humanities Council.