Black Student Empowerment awarded 2026 Perkins Prize
By Laura Gallup, Student and Campus Life
Black Student Empowerment received the 30th annual James A. Perkins Prize for Interracial and Intercultural Peace and Harmony at an April 20 ceremony in Willard Straight Hall.
Each year, the $5,000 Perkins Prize recognizes a Cornell group or individual that advances a sense of community while respecting diversity. Two honorable mentions, with prizes of $500 each, were also awarded.
Provost Kavita Bala congratulated this year’s 19 nominees – including students, faculty, initiatives, programs, offices, clinics, centers, student organizations, fraternities and sororities – and emphasized the role of student-led efforts in shaping the campus community and advancing Cornell’s mission to do the greatest good.
“You bring your experiences, your identities and your perspectives – yes, to the classroom, but to everything you do,” Bala said. “All the activities, all the conversations on and off campus, and each discussion you have in all those settings, is an opportunity to discover and nurture shared values.”