PRESS RELEASE
Washington, D.C., September 26, 2025 — Dr. Kim Cliett Long received the 2025 Historian Award at the 48th Annual Symposium Awards Luncheon of the Black Women’s Agenda (BWA), the umbrella organization representing twenty-eight premier national groups and more than three million African American women.
With over 1,800 distinguished guests, the luncheon has become one of the most highly anticipated events of Congressional Black Caucus Week, drawing national leaders and influencers from across fields.
Dr. Long was honored alongside an extraordinary slate of recipients, including the Honorable Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Interim President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches; Desirée Rogers, noted business executive; Sylvia Cyrus, Executive Director of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History; and others.
“To say the event was spectacular is an understatement,” Dr. Long remarked. “This recognition stands as a watershed moment in my journey. It reaffirms the calling I have embraced to illuminate the maritime histories of African and African-descended peoples whose contributions have shaped the life and legacy of our port cities and coastal communities and our nation.”
The Black Women’s Agenda continues its mission of honoring excellence and advancing empowerment, celebrating the achievements of African American women and their allies on a national stage.