English professor honored for book on black politics

Derrick R. Spires, associate professor of English, was awarded the St. Louis Mercantile Library Prize for his book, “The Practice of Citizenship: Black Politics and Print Culture in the Early United States.” The award, given by the Bibliographical Society of America, honors research in the bibliography of American literature and history. The award carries a prize of $2,000 and a year’s membership in the organization.