The Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy is proud to celebrate Director Gaye Theresa Johnson, whose co-edited anthology Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion (University of Illinois Press) has received the North American Society for Sport History's Best Anthology Award for 2026. The collection examines the boxing ring as a site for understanding race, citizenship, gender, power, and dissent, with essays and interviews that illuminate the cultural politics of marginalized boxers and reveal the structures of power shaping Black, Brown, and queer bodies in sport. This recognition reflects Gaye's sustained commitment to scholarship that centers communities whose experiences have too often been excluded from dominant narratives, and we are honored to have her leadership at the heart of our work.