Johns Hopkins University faculty members Lawrence Jackson and Matthew Porterfield have been named 2019 Guggenheim Fellows, a prestigious distinction that recognizes achievements and exceptional promise. They are among a group of 168 scholars, artists, and writers selected from nearly 3,000 applicants.

Jackson, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor who teaches in the departments of English and history, received a fellowship in the field of general nonfiction. He is an expert in 20th century African-American literary history, and his book Chester B. Himes: A Biography was a finalist for the Pen/Faulkner award. A Baltimore native, he founded and directs the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts, which aims to foster the robust intellectual and artistic exchange between members of the university’s Homewood campus and historic Baltimore neighborhoods. The Guggenheim Fellowship will support Jackson’s development of a monograph project entitled Christmas in Baltimore.