Summer Conference

Welcome to the 3rd Annual BERC Summer Conference

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Teachers College, Columbia University

Since 2024, the Black Education Research Center has hosted an annual summer conference designed to equip K-12 educators and school leaders with the content knowledge, instructional strategies, and community necessary to implement Black Studies as the Study of the World: A PK-12 Black Studies Curriculum for New York City Public Schools in K-12 classrooms throughout New York City. Now in its third year, the conference has featured experts on Black studies and culturally responsive and sustaining education, fostering a community of support for Black studies implementation in New York City and beyond.

The BERC 2026 Summer Conference theme: From Equity to Emancipation: Black Studies as the Practice of Freedom in NYC Schools, provides teachers, school leaders, policy makers, and community educators an opportunity to reclaim the emancipatory power of education. Despite the long shadow of “mis-education” and separate and unequal education that continues to cast itself upon U.S. public schools, the fight for educational equality and opportunity continues. The current political landscape requires those concerned with the future of K-12 education to shift our collective focus from equity as a means of “ensuring that everyone gets what they need,” to emancipation as the process of “ensuring that everyone is free” or “getting free.” This is not to abandon the goals of equity, but acknowledging that until all of us are free, none of us truly are (Hamer, 1971). 

One promising project is the implementation of Black Studies as the Study of the World: A PK-12 Black Studies Curriculum for New York City Public Schools, - a timely and relevant example of how PK-12 educators, policymakers, and researchers can work together to harness the power of knowledge, resources, and leadership to plant the seeds of educational transformation and systemic change. The provision of Black studies in PK-12 education represents a unique opportunity to correct, enrich, and supplant where necessary, existing curricula, and advance a more comprehensive and inclusive learning experience for all students. The urgency of the present political moment demands a fundamentally emancipatory approach to education—one that reimagines research and policy not as neutral or technocratic endeavors, but as instruments of collective freedom and human flourishing. Education remains the most powerful path toward consciousness and freedom from mental bondage. Through  Black studies, we find not only a framework for understanding the world, but a liberatory way of being in it—fulfilling the enduring call to move from equity to emancipation.

By attending, participants of this year’s conference will be able to utilize lessons from Black Studies as the Study of the World to enact the three essential functions of Black studies (Gordon & Brown, 2024):

• Memorialize and explain the African experience in the Americas,
• Document the evolution and achievements of Black people in the Americas, and
• Provide analytical frameworks for understanding the Black experience and beyond.

We hope that you join us. 

References

Hamer, F. L. (1971). Speech delivered at the founding of the National Women's Political Caucus in Washington, D.C. in Houck & Parker (Eds.) The speeches of Fannie Lou Hamer: To tell it like it is. University Press of Mississippi.

Registration takes place on TC Academy, Teachers College’s professional development platform. The cost of attendance is $150 per person. To sign up, simply follow the prompts to select your registration option. You can also request information on accessibility before proceeding to accept the terms and conditions for the conference and make payment. If you are interested in purchasing multiple seats (bulk registration) via a purchase order, please contact us at berc@tc.columbia.edu for assistance.

Coming soon

Testimonials

• "As Director of the Harlem International Museum of Black History and Culture, this conference offered a meaningful opportunity to engage with educators who are leading the way in teaching Black history and culture to K–12 students. The scholarship presented throughout the conference equips teachers, educators, and community activists with the knowledge and tools necessary to make a lasting impact. These initiatives help provide young people with the historical and cultural grounding needed to build self-esteem, affirm their identity, and ignite a sense of agency that reaches well beyond the classroom." - Donald Clayton, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Harlem International Museum of Black History and Culture”
• "The BERC Summer Conference enlightened and inspired me. To be in various rooms with so many like-minded individuals excited for the opportunity to dialogue about our history was enriching! I enjoyed the keynote speakers and the workshops. The passion was palpable." - DeLisa Williams, Teacher, P. S. 36”
• “It was a day filled with pedagogy, resources and the inspiration to apply it all!" - Anonymous, Curriculum Specialist”
• “I loved every workshop! The presenters helped me to develop a mindset and method for starting some new initiatives at my school and on a district level using the Black Studies curriculum." - Anonymous, Teacher (Grades 6-8)”
• "It was an amazing experience learning alongside incredible scholars whose work has been pivotal to my work and research. Also, seeing the Black Studies curriculum in action was powerful as we begin implementation as a district! "- Anonymous, District Administrator”
• “The BERC Summer Conference is an inspirational experience for educators. The conference provides educators with the context, connections, history, and information to help us understand how to discuss the African American experience in the United States and the world with accuracy and responsibility. It helps us to weave the vast Black experience into a cohesive curriculum that can be utilized by educators. "- Anonymous, Teacher (PK-5)”