Katz Prize Logo

2025 Stanley N. Katz Prize for Excellence in Public Humanities

2025 Katz Prize Recipient: "Honoring Cudjo Banquante!"

The weeklong project brought to life the little-known story of Cudjo Banquante, an enslaved man who fought in Washington’s Army, gained freedom and became Newark’s first documented Black business owner.

More than 20 events and exhibits

Funded in part by NJCH grant and sponsorship

Dozens of collaborating organizations and volunteers

Follow the recipients

Honoring Cudjo! website Link to Newark History Society Facebook page Link to Newark History Society YouTube channel

Watch a Q&A with the recipients

Read the Q&A

Event Videos

Press Release
Event photos
Amandla News Coverage

Honorable Mentions

In addition to the top prize, honorable mentions were given to three projects.

Red Bank Battlefield Archaeology Project

A project that has meaningfully engaged the public in the humanities work related to excavating and studying the Revolutionary War battle and burial site.

Learn more

The Red Bank Battlefield Archaeology Project is a public-facing initiative at Red Bank Battlefield Park in National Park, New Jersey, the site of the 1777 Battle of Red Bank. Launched to engage the public in hands-on archaeology, the project took a historic turn in 2022 with the discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of Hessian soldiers killed in battle. In 2023, the project received an Incubation Grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities that allowed the team to host a series of public meetings to solicit community feedback, ensuring the project’s mission and direction were shaped by inclusive dialogue. As a result, the project centers the ethical stewardship of human remains and engages the public in thoughtful conversations about the human cost of war.


The Red Bank project challenges conventional Revolutionary War battlefield narratives by raising difficult questions: Who is the enemy? Who gets remembered and, by extension, forgotten? By foregrounding the experiences of those who fought and died—both American and Hessian—it complicates simplified stories of patriotism and valor. The project’s mission is to use archaeology to confront the realities of Revolutionary War battlefield violence, elevate the stories of marginalized peoples, and explore the complexities of the American Revolution. Through community archaeology, public programs, and educational outreach, the project models how public history can foster ethical reflection, civic dialogue, and a deeper understanding of our nation’s past.


Read more about the project on the Rowan University website.

Link to website with video and visuals from the project Link to Red Bank Battlefield Instagram

  • The Ground on Which We Stand Slideshow
  • The Ground on Which We Stand Slideshow
  • The Ground on Which We Stand Slideshow
  • The Ground on Which We Stand Slideshow
  • The Ground on Which We Stand Slideshow
  • The Ground on Which We Stand Slideshow
  • The Ground on Which We Stand Slideshow

Luna Stage Company’s The Ground on Which We Stand

A theatrical piece collaboratively written by 12 playwrights inspired by the history and legacy of The James Howe House, the first home in the Township of Montclair to be owned by a formerly enslaved person.

Learn more

The Ground on Which We Stand is a play commissioned by Luna Stage, collaboratively written by 12 playwrights, inspired by the history and legacy of the James Howe House—the first home in Montclair to be owned by a formerly enslaved person. Created in partnership with local historians, genealogists, and community activists, and incorporating material drawn from archival documents and oral histories, the play tells the story of the Howe family and the community that shaped and preserved their legacy.


It premiered in 2023 as a two-hour, site-specific performance along the mile-long route between the Crane House, home to Howe’s enslaver, and the Howe House. 18 actors played 13 characters in scenes set from 1811 to 2023. Characters included James Howe and his descendants, abolitionists, historians, and activists from the past and present.


Following this event, Luna received requests for additional, and portable, performances. In 2024, they adapted an hour-long, 6-actor version; in 2025, they created a dynamic solo version. The solo performance premiered at Luna for a three-week, critically-acclaimed MainStage run, toured to local school audiences, and was featured at the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum Juneteenth Celebration. This September, an immersive version was performed onsite at the Howe House. Additional performances are planned for the future.


TGOWWS illuminates how national movements—emancipation, civil rights, historic preservation—intersect with and shape contemporary lived experience. The project was previously honored with the 2024 Giles R. Wright Award for Excellence in African American History.


Learn more about the work on the Luna Stage website.

Link to "The Ground on Which We Stand" website Link to Luna Stage Facebook page Link to Luna Stage Instagram

People & Stories / Gente y Cuentos "Our Common Ground: Poetry in Community"

A series of workshops that used poetry, literature, and discussion to build community within marginalized communities New Jersey.

Learn more

History was made in 2025: People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos'  50-year-plus renowned short story programming - introducing new audiences and building community through literature- successfully integrated poetry and poets for the first time into a year-long series of workshops and 8-week programs at partner sites across New Jersey.


Thousands of participants, ages 14 to 94, found joy and sustenance in reading and discussing poetry, writing poetry, discussing literature and creating anthologies of their group work, in both Spanish and English.  And, all this was made possible thanks to an historic first-time funding partnership of The Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts in support of P&S/GyC’s belief that the pursuit of the joys of poetry and literature are unalienable rights, belonging to all.


In fact, P&S/GyC kicked off this historic program on July 4, 2024 at Morven Museum & Garden’s Jubilee - the home of one of New Jersey’s signers of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton - and home of one of America's first female published poet, Annis Boudinot Stockton.


From Summer 2024 through Summer 2025 deepened engagement with poetry fostered creative expression within diverse and marginalized communities throughout New Jersey, while also providing P&S/GyC the opportunity to increase its already outstanding short story bibliography with a body of complementary poetry - leaving an enduring legacy for our next 50 years.


Learn more about the work on the People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos website.

Link to People & Stories / Gente y Cuentos website Link to People & Stories / Gente y Cuentos facebook page Link to People & Stories / Gente y Cuentos instagram Link to People & Stories / Gente y Cuentos LinkedIn profile
ABOUT

THE STANLEY N. KATZ PRIZE

Founded in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Council, the Stanley N. Katz Prize for Excellence in Public Humanities has been awarded annually since 2022. The award recognizes an organization that has demonstrated significant engagement with and impact through community-focused public humanities work in New Jersey.

About Stan

“NJCH's longtime leader, Stan Katz, helped shape the Council as an organization that works with scholars across disciplines to serve the New Jersey public, recognizing that public humanities help us bridge divides, promote civic engagement, and give a voice to all members of our society.

In this important moment for the public humanities, we hope naming our award honors his commitment to public humanities and ensures a better future for our communities."

- Dan Fatton, NJCH Board Chair, 2020-2022

Learn more about Stan

Nomination Information

Katz Prize logo

To be eligible for nomination, an organization must:

  • Have completed the nominated project in the last five years.
  • Be a New Jersey-based nonprofit or government entity.

Anyone may nominate an organization, and nominators may nominate any organization that they believe best exemplifies the purpose of the Prize and fulfills its eligibility requirements; please note that self-nominations from organizations *are* permitted. All nominations will be kept confidential.

Nomination process

Supporters

Katz Prize Dontaions Tracker

Your generosity will help to further the work of the public humanities in New Jersey while honoring the many contributions Stan Katz has made to the field. Please consider participating in one of the Katz Prize Fund Giving Levels. With your support, we can honor Stan's significant work in the public humanities and the impact of the historical, cultural, and educational organizations in New Jersey.

Donations may be made online, or via check, stock transfers, EFT, property, or other contribution options. To inquire, contact us at donations@njhumanities.org or (609) 695-4838.

Make a Donation

Katz Prize Fund Donors

Founder's Circle graphic

Founder's Circle ($10,000 & Up)

American Council of Learned Societies
Kiki Jamieson & Will Dove
Sid Lapidus, '59
Gail M. Ullman

Patron graphic

Patrons ($5,000 - $9,999)

Cornelia H. Dayton
International Cultural Property Society
Dan Fatton & Alex Justino
Douglas & Margee Greenberg
William Chester Jordan
Princeton University
Rayman Solomon & Carol Avins
Barry Sullivan & Winnifred Fallers Sullivan
Steven Wheatley & Lina-Marie Delloff
Jamil Zainaldin

Benefactor graphic

Benefactors ($1,000 - $4,999)

George & Marion Curtis
John Dove
Paul and Byrgen Finkelman
E. Leigh Gibson
James Goodman & Jennifer McFeely
Daniel & Sarah Barringer Gordon
Benjamin Heineman, Jr.
Barbara & Steven Henning
Linda K. Kerber
Bruce H. Mann
Ruth & Bernie Miller
Allen & Rhona Porter
Dr. Robert Ritchie
Michael & Mary Pat Robertson
Benjamin Soskis
Wendel White

Friend Donor Level graphic

Friends (Up to $999)

David & Sandra Abraham
Anonymous
James Banner
Thomas Bender
Carin Berkowitz
Sandra Bradley
Brendan Byrne
Deborah A. Carter
Leonard Cassuto
William Deverell
Michael Ebner
Richard & Caroline Ekman
Daniel Ernst
David Farber & Beth Bailey
Beth Filla & Brett Bonfield
Candace Frede
Ira & Karen Fuchs Charitable Gift Fund
Michael Glickman
Ann D. Gordon
Briann Greenfield
James Grossman
John Herbert Hammer
Neil Harris
Hendrik Hartog
Pam Hersh
Mark Hontz
Frederick Hoxie
Richard Immerman
Arnita A. Jones
Anamika Kapoor
Ira Katznelson
Deborah Leff
William Leslie
Donna LoPiano
Maxine Lurie
Donna Macalle-Holly
Esther Mackintosh
Burton & Nancy Malkiel
Maeva Marcus
Louis Masur
Jonathan Mercantini
Martha Minow
Maribel Morey
Linda Morgan
Newberry Library
Philip Nord
Barbara Oberg
Judith Pinch
Barry V. Qualls
Jan Robbins
Richard Roper
Jane Brailove Rutkoff
Gary Saretzky
Sara Siegler
Angela Speakman
Marue E. Walizer

Katz Prize Fund Committee Members

Carin Berkowitz, Ph.D.
Cornelia Dayton, Ph.D.
Sarah Barringer Gordon, J.D., Ph.D.
Doug Greenberg, Ph.D., Chair
James Grossman, Ph.D.
Kiki Jamieson, Ph.D.
Arnita Jones, Ph.D.
Michael Klein, J.D., Ph.D.
Michael Robertson, Ph.D.
Rayman Solomon, J.D., Ph.D.
Steven Wheatley, Ph.D.
Jamil Zainaldin, Ph.D.

Keep the Humanities in Our Communities

More than ever, our ability to explore, cultivate, and champion the humanities depends on financial support from individual and organizational donors. Please donate to support the vital work of the humanities in the Garden State.

Make a Donation