Dr. Bettina L. Love holds the esteemed William F. Russell Professorship at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is the acclaimed author of Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal, a New York Times bestseller. This groundbreaking work led to her being awarded the prestigious Stowe Prize for Literary Activism and being named a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Recognized as one of the Next 50 Leaders by the Kennedy Center in 2022 for her dedication to fostering inspiration, inclusivity, and compassion, Dr. Love’s impact extends far beyond academia. In 2024, she was honored with the Truth Award for Excellence in Education from Better Brothers Los Angeles and The Diva Foundation.
Dr. Love actively contributes to nurturing and empowering educators and parents committed to combating injustice within their educational institutions and communities. Additionally, Dr. Love was instrumental in founding the Task Force behind the groundbreaking “In Her Hands” program, which disbursed more than $13 million to support Black women in Georgia.
Renowned as a highly sought-after public speaker, Dr. Love covers a wide range of compelling topics in her engagements, including abolitionist teaching, anti-racism, Hip Hop education, Black girlhood, queer youth, educational reparations, and the use of art-based education to foster youth civic engagement. Her profound insights and expertise have earned her recognition in various news outlets, including NPR, PBS, The Daily Beast, Time, Education Week, The Guardian, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In 2018, the Georgia House of Representatives honored Dr. Love with a resolution for her impactful contributions to the field of education. She is also a prolific writer, contributing articles on race in America to Education Week Opinion. With her bestseller We Want To Do More Than Survive, she has sold close to 200,000 copies, making it a staple in classrooms nationwide and solidifying her as a leading voice in the field of education.
A dual purpose drives Dr. Love’s scholarship: first, to enhance the understanding and critique of school reform, systemic racism, and structural issues within U.S. public education; second, to advocate for abolitionist educational approaches, seeking innovative solutions to eliminate educational harm.
Dr. Love actively collaborates with activists, communities, youth, families, and school districts to bring her scholarly endeavors to fruition. Together, they work towards establishing communal, civically-engaged schools grounded in the principles of abolitionist strategies that embrace and uplift Black and Brown children.
Recognizing her significant contributions, Dr. Love was invited to the White House Research Conference on Girls in 2014. Her impactful work in Hip Hop education led to her designation as the Nasir Jones HipHop Fellow at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University in 2016. In April 2017, she engaged in a one-on-one public lecture with the late feminist icon bell hooks, focusing on the liberatory education practices of Black and Brown children.
In 2018, the Georgia House of Representatives acknowledged Dr. Love’s substantial impact on the field of education by presenting her with a resolution. In 2023, Dr. Love was honored with The Atlantic Coast Conference Unite Award by the University of Pittsburgh. The following year, in 2024, she received the Excellence in Education Award from the Better Brothers Los Angeles and The Diva Foundation.
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