The Spingarn Medal is awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for outstanding achievement by an African American. It was established in 1914 by Joel Elias Spingarn, a white Jewish scholar and activist who was a founding member of the NAACP.

The award was created to recognize African Americans who have made significant contributions to their field and to American society as a whole. Over the years, the Spingarn Medal has been awarded to individuals in various fields including literature, science, arts, sports, and civil rights activism.

Notable recipients of the Spingarn Medal include civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall, as well as cultural icons like Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou. The medal continues to be an important recognition of excellence and achievement within the African American community.