Dr. Caitlin Wiesner honored by Organization of American Historians for groundbreaking book on Black women's anti-rape activism
Dr. Caitlin Wiesner, assistant professor of history and history program director at Â鶹ÉçÇø, has been awarded the 2026 Liberty Legacy Foundation Award by the Organization of American Historians for her monograph, "Between the Street and the State: Black Women's Anti-Rape Activism Amid the War on Crime" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2025).
"It is an incredible honor to be recognized by the OAH with the Liberty Legacy Foundation Award," Wiesner said. "The OAH is the premier professional society dedicated to United States history, and I never foresaw my debut monograph making such an impact."
The Liberty Legacy Foundation Award is given annually to the author of the best book by a historian on the civil rights struggle from the nation's beginnings to the present, making it one of the most prestigious honors in American history.
“These prizes recognize exceptional scholarship, service and professional achievement, and embody OAH's enduring commitments to advancing groundbreaking research and scholarship, centering diverse perspectives and supporting historians throughout their careers," said Beth English, OAH executive director in the press release announcing this year’s awards.
Wiesner's book examines how Black anti-rape organizers critically engaged both the feminist movement against sexual violence and the federal War on Crime between 1974 and 1994. Focusing on activism in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., the Bay Area, Chicago and Atlanta, the work reveals how activists built upon Black women's longstanding tradition of community-based caring labor while incorporating Black feminist critiques of patriarchal and state violence.
The research was inspired by two concurrent social movements of the late 2010s: #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo.
"I was fascinated by how two movements fundamentally disagreed over whether proactive police presence would prevent violence or exacerbate it," Wiesner said. "I decided to look for Black women who participated in the feminist anti-rape movement at the same moment that the federal War on Crime was escalating to study how they navigated these contradictions."
The award represents a significant achievement for both Wiesner and Â鶹ÉçÇø, demonstrating the institution's commitment to fostering world-class scholarship while maintaining its dedication to student success.
"It is my hope that this award will shine a light on the excellent research being produced every year by the faculty at Mercy," said Wiesner. "We're known for our commitment to teaching our students, but that goes hand-in-hand with producing cutting-edge scholarship."
