In May 2021, the CGC held its inaugural conference, Advancing Black Intellectualism: Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first Black Women to Achieve a Ph.D. degree in the United States. Dr. Josie Johnson was instrumental in the establishment of the consortium, and so it is doubly fitting that she is one of the first two recipients of the inaugural Common Ground Consortium Advancing Black Intellectualism (ABI) award. Dr. Rose Brewer, professor in the Africana Studies Department also received an ABI award.