We’re pleased to announce Aaron Robertson as recipient of the inaugural Commonweal Centennial Fellowship.
A writer, editor, and translator from Italian, Robertson is author of The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), which was named a finalist for the 2024 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History and a best book of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, TIME, The Boston Globe, and other publications.
For more than five years, Robertson’s research and writing have considered the complex interplay of religion, race, and politics in the lives of Black Americans, and his project will interrogate this intellectual tradition.
Throughout the yearlong fellowship, Robertson will explore Black Catholic life, along with alternative and secular Black spiritual traditions. Among the questions he will consider are: What has become of the radical spirit of the Black Catholic Movement? And how do young Black Americans—whether Catholic, spiritual-but-not-religious, or unaffiliated —engage with faith, memory, and the sacred today?
His work will inform his novel-in-progress, which imagines a fictional Black Catholic priest leading a revolt against the closure of Detroit parishes in 1989.
“This fellowship offers a rare chance to think deeply about some of the spiritual and intellectual traditions that have shaped twentieth-century Black life in America,” said Robertson. “I’m especially grateful for the time to explore how faith, dissent, and community converge in ways that still matter today.”
Working in close collaboration with Commonweal’s editorial staff, Robertson will produce original writing for publication in the print magazine and online and a limited series for The Commonweal Podcast.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Aaron as our inaugural Centennial Fellow,” said Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi. “He brings a unique and compelling perspective on Catholic life in America, something we’re excited to share with our readers.”
The yearlong fellowship is made possible by Karen Sue Smith, a former editor at Commonweal, and Rose DiMartino. It is awarded annually to an outstanding writer in the early or middle stages of their career eager to examine or expand upon a compelling aspect of their academic interest, area of expertise, creative endeavor, or journalistic beat in a series of articles and related podcasts.
“For more than 100 years, Commonweal has championed emerging voices, published thought-provoking stories, and aimed to bring our readers’ attention to the most urgent, pressing, and complex topics of the day,” said Commonweal executive director Ellen B. Koneck. “Thanks to the generosity of Karen Sue Smith and Rose DiMartino, Commonweal will continue this work as we embark on our second century.”
