If you work with high school students you will want to check out the BCALA Literary Awards. Given by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association the awards recognize excellence in adult fiction and nonfiction by African American authors, including an award for Best Poetry and a citation for Outstanding Contribution to Publishing.
This annual award honors distinguished social science books that depict ethnicity in the U.S. The National Council for the Social Studies presents award for elementary, middle, and secondary school books.
Presented annually to authors and illustrators of African decent by the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) of the ALA. This award celebrates books that promote an understanding of the “American dream.”
The Golden Baobab Prize is an African literary award established in July 2008 to encourage the writing of African literature for children and young adults.
“Established in 2000, the New Voices Award encourages writers of color to submit their work to a publisher that takes pride in nurturing new talent.”
John Steptoe Award for New Talent
This award, given to a black author and to a black illustrator and provided by the SRRT, is intended to recognize writers or artists at the beginning of their careers. The award is presented annually for text and illustrations, either for one book as a whole or for individual publications.