In this undated photo provided by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, environmental activist Catherine Coleman Flowers poses for a photo in Montgomery, Ala. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the fellowships Tuesday Oct. 6, 2020. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the fellowships Tuesday. Writers, sociologists, scientists, a documentary filmmaker, a legal scholar and an environmental health advocate are among the luminaries named this year. The Chicago-based foundation has awarded the “genius grants” every year since 1981 to help further the pursuits of people with outstanding talent.