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Cedric de Leon, professor of sociology and labor studies, has been named a 2026 American Book Award winner for his 2025 book, “Freedom Train: Black Politics and the Story of Interracial Labor Solidarity.” de Leon and his fellow award recipients winners will be formally recognized in a ceremony to be held Sept. 26 on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.

In “Freedom Train,” de Leon argues that the history of workers' triumphs in the United States cannot be comprehended without investigating the role of Black liberation. His book shows that, from the early 20th century to the years immediately following the March on Washington and beyond, independent Black labor organizations have pushed the white labor movement toward a fierce and effective interracial solidarity.

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Drawing on the minutes, correspondence, and speeches of Black labor activists and organizations from 1917-68, de Leon reveals that Black people have been the most ardent and consistent proponents of racial inclusion, leadership representation and programs linking economic and racial justice. He also demonstrates how conflict and consensus among Black labor groups fueled the fight for solidarity, as different factions split and consolidated to form successive and sometimes competing Black labor organizations. “Freedom Train” centers the contributions of Black people to the multiracial unions we have today and demonstrates that internal conflict can be a source of strategic innovation and social movement success.

The American Book Awards were created by the Before Columbus Foundation to provide recognition for outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community. The purpose of the awards is to recognize literary excellence without limitation or restriction. The awards are not bestowed by an industry organization, but are a writers’ award given by other writers. 

American Book Award winners range from well-known and established writers to under-recognized and first-time authors. De Leon’s fellow winners of the 2026 awards include Stephen Colbert, Bancroft Award winning historian Beth Lew-Williams, and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Douglas Kearney.