About the Award

Award Winners and Honor Books

The CSK Award has grown since its inception in the late 1960s. At its humble inception at the May 1970 dinner gala of the New Jersey Library Association, Lillie Patterson was honored for her biography, Martin Luther King, Jr. Man of Peace. In 1972, CSK held its first breakfast at an ALA conference site (but without ALA recognition). Official affiliation with SRRT came in 1980 and in 1982 the American Library Association recognized the Coretta Scott King Award as an association award. Success of the CSK Task Force can be attributed to the work of tireless volunteers and visionary founders. For a more complete history consult two works: The Coretta Scott King Awards Book, From Vision to Reality Edited by Henrietta Smith, American Library Association, 1994 and The Coretta Scott King Awards Book, 1970-1999, Edited by Henrietta M. Smith, American Library Association, 1999.

For information about submitting a title for consideration, go to the Submitting Titles page.

About the Seal

The Coretta Scott King Award Seal was designed by internationally-known artist Lev Mills in 1974. The symbolism used in designing the seal centers around Dr. King's teachings and doctrines, the purpose for which the Award was founded.

The basic circle represents continuity in movement, revolving from one idea to another. Within the circle is the image of a black child reading a book. The five main religious symbols below the image of the child represent nonsectarianism. The superimposed pyramid symbolizes both strength and Atlanta University, where the Award was headquartered at the time the seal was designed. At the apex of the pyramid is the dove, symbolic of peace, one of Dr. King's doctrines. The rays shine toward peace and brotherhood.

The CSK seals have recently been revised; the new bronze and black seal denotes a Coretta Scott King Award winner, and the new pewter and black seal denotes an honor book. The former bronze seal (for winners) and pewter seals (for honors) can still be used.

History of the Award

In 1969, while attending the American Library Association Meeting in New Jersey, Mabel McKissick and Glyndon Greer, two school librarians, had a chance meeting at a booth when both were trying to get a poster of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was a time of great turmoil in the country. Both women loved children's literature and were discussing that African American authors and illustrators had not been distinguished with awards for their work. John Carroll, publisher at the booth where the two were vying for the poster, asked them why they didn't start an award to do so. From that seed of an idea, the Coretta Scott King Award was born.

The CSK Award has certainly grown since its inception in the late 1960s. At its humble inception at the May 1970 dinner gala of the New Jersey Library Association, Lillie Patterson was honored for her biography, Martin Luther King, Jr. Man of Peace. In 1972, CSK held its first breakfast at an ALA conference site (but without ALA recognition). Official affiliation with SRRT came in 1980 and in 1982 the American Library Association recognized the Coretta Scott King Award as an association award. Success of the CSK Task Force can be attributed to the work of tireless volunteers and visionary founders. For a more complete history consult two works: The Coretta Scott King Awards Book, From Vision to Reality Edited by Henrietta Smith, American Library Association, 1994 and The Coretta Scott King Awards Book, 1970-1999, Edited by Henrietta M. Smith, American Library Association, 1999.

CSK Task Force Chairs

CSK Milestones

• 1969- Four other librarians joined the founders: Harriet Brown of New York City; Beatrice James, President of the New Jersey Library Association; Roger McDonough, New Jersey State Librarian; and Ella Gaines Yates, Assistant Director, Montclair Public Library.
   
• 1974-An illustrator was honored for the first time. George Ford was recipient for Ray Charles. Lev Mills of Atlanta Georgia designed the seal that would officially denote CSK Award status, embodying the King philosophy of peace and universal brotherhood.
   
• 1979- Mrs. Coretta Scott King spoke at the 10th anniversary of the CSK Award Breakfast. The Atlanta based awards committee and the advisory board merged to form the CSK Task Force. Through the leadership of E. J. Josey the Award was placed under the Social Responsibilities Round Table of ALA. Glyndon Greer served as the first CSK Task Force Chair.
   
• 1994-Publication of The Coretta Scott King Awards Book from Vision to Reality, a historical overview of the CSK award books with selective biographies and conversational profiles.
   
• 1995-The CSK Award was expanded to include the New Talent Award (originally introduced as the Genesis Award) to honor new African American authors and illustrators with less than three published works.
   
• 1998- Official Coretta Scott King Web site was launched at the ALA mid-winter conference
   
• 1999- Revised edition of the Coretta Scott King Awards Book, 1970–1999. An updated version of the 1994 Coretta Scott King Awards Book. This is exhaustive resource and introduces the best in African American children's books. Useful for k-12 teachers, school and public libraries, public programming and graduate school children 's curricula. Complete with new interviews, and 19 gorgeously reproduced full-color plates.

The Coretta Scott King Award was the dream of Glyndon Greer. In 1969, while attending the annual conference of ALA in Atlantic City, NJ, Mrs. Greer, along with Mabel McKissack, both school librarians, and John Carroll, a book publisher, organized the Coretta Scott King Award. During the first year, four other librarians joined the founders: Harriet Brown of New York City; Beatrice James, President of the New Jersey Library Association; Roger McDonough, New Jersey State Librarian; and Ella Gaines Yates, Assistant Director, Montclair Public Library.

The first award was presented in 1970 to Lillie Patterson for her book Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Man of Peace at the New Jersey Library Association Annual Spring Conference in Atlantic City. Roger McDonough, a former president of ALA, strongly urged the founder to celebrate the Award during the ALA annual conference. In 1972, at the time of the third award, the first Coretta Scott King Award Breakfast was held at the ALA annual conference in Chicago, IL.

In 1974, for the first time, the Award's jury honored an illustrator. The CSK Award was presented to George Ford for his illustrations in Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis. Ms. Mathis also received the Author Award. In the same year the CSK Award seal was designed by the internationally-known Atlanta-based artist Lev Mills.

The year 1979 marked significant changes for the Coretta Scott King Award. At the ALA annual conference in Dallas, TX, the Award's tenth anniversary, Mrs. Coretta Scott King appeared and spoke at the breakfast. In addition, the Atlanta-based awards committee and the advisory board merged to form the Coretta Scott King Task Force. Through the leadership of E.J. Josey, the merger of the these two groups placed the Award under the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) of ALA. It was now an official award, recognized by the American Library Association.

Glyndon Greer served as the first chair of the newly created SRRT Coretta Scott King Task Force. Mrs. Greer passed in 1980, having watched her vision become a reality. Other CSK Task Force Chairs include:

• Harriet B. Brown (acting chair after the death of Glyndon Greer)
• Effie Lee Morris, former coordinator of children's services for San Francisco Public Library
• David Searcy, Atlanta Fulton Public Library (deceased)
• Henrietta Smith, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Florida
• Carolyn L. Garnes, Atlanta Fulton Public Library
• Barbara Jones Clark, Coordinator of Media and Enrichment Services for Birmingham Public Schools in Birmingham, MI (current chair)

The Coretta Scott King Award has developed into a remarkable success. The CSK New Talent Award was established in 1994 in recognition of aspiring new talent and presented for the first time in 1995. The CSK Award is one of the most prestigious book awards given by ALA. In the spirit of brotherhood, the CSK Task Force continues to be an integrated group of librarians and supporters who share a common bond.

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