Zophia Edwards Won Prestigious Sociological Book Award

The Johns Hopkins professor received the honor for her study on labor movements in Trinidad and Tobago.

Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Scholarships

Gouache-painted illustration of a leather research ledger and archival papers, capturing the scholarly nature of historical labor research. — Johns Hopkins professor Zophia Edwards has been awarded the American Sociological Association's Distinguished Scholarly Book Award for her research on labor movements in Trinidad. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Zophia Edwards, an assistant professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, has received the Distinguished Scholarly Book Award from the American Sociological Association. The award recognizes her 2025 book, Fueling Development: How Black Radical Trade Unionism Transformed Trinidad and Tobago.

Why it matters

The recognition highlights the impact of Edwards' research on how working-class mobilization through liberation unionism shaped the development of Trinidad and Tobago. Her work utilizes archival data and historical analysis to provide a deeper understanding of political economic thought.

The award-winning research published by Duke University Press in 2025 follows Edwards' earlier 2021 work, Racism, Capitalism, and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Edwards holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Boston University and an astrophysics degree from Williams College.

The players

Zophia Edwards

She is an assistant professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University who previously directed the Black studies program at Providence College.

American Sociological Association

This professional organization represents sociologists and presents annual awards for significant contributions to the discipline.

The details

Fueling Development explores the intersection of Black radical political economy and labor history to trace the successful mobilization of workers in Trinidad and Tobago. Edwards, who formerly served as the director of the Black studies program at Providence College, draws on extensive archival and historical analysis in her research.

The American Sociological Association presented the award in October 2026.
Fueling Development was published in 2025.
Racism, Capitalism, and the COVID-19 Pandemic was published in 2021.

Culture Shift

The recognition of Edwards follows the tradition of the American Sociological Association Distinguished Scholarly Book Award, which honors works that significantly influence sociological inquiry. This milestone reflects an ongoing shift in academia toward valuing intersectional research that bridges historical economic theory with modern labor studies.

The award reinforces the stature of social science research being conducted at Johns Hopkins University, providing students and local scholars with a benchmark for rigorous historical analysis. Readers interested in labor history or Caribbean development may find the book a valuable resource for understanding the influence of trade unions on national growth.

The takeaway

The recognition of this research serves as a reminder of how deep archival dives can uncover vital stories about the working class. Those interested in sociology or economic history should consider how modern research methods can shed new light on historical social movements.