Black Education Research Center

Welcome to the Black Education Research Center

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At a BERC event, a close up view of audience seated in an auditorium setting actively listening and watching

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At a BERC event, view of two presenters on stage with a projection screen behind them and an audience in the foreground

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Message from the Director

Welcome to the Black Education Research Center (BERC) at Teachers College, Columbia University. Thank you for taking a moment to visit our website and learn more about our work.

Founded in August of 2017, BERC is a collective of scholars focused on education research at the intersections of Black history, culture, politics, and leadership. We are research faculty,  postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students and alumni of Teachers College and other institutions devoted to enriching Black education through transdisciplinary research, cross-sector collaboration, and policy advocacy.

Our mission (what we do) is to conduct, translate, and disseminate research that leads to improved educational opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for Black children and youth. We are excited about the current projects we have underway and the integration of Black educational experiences, research perspectives, political interests, and cultural values into the critical conversations taking place on racial equity, anti-racism, and social justice in education.

Although we face great challenges ahead in our collective efforts to ensure the effective and genuine education of children and youth across the African Diaspora, we take great joy and hope in the possibility of what we can explore, imagine, and accomplish together.

 

 

Sincerely,

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Sonya Douglass, Ed.D.
Founding Director, Black Education Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University

Recent BERC News & Events

Cover of the publication Black Studies As the Study of the World

BERC Announces Groundbreaking Black Studies Curriculum for NYC Schools and Gathers Educators for Implementation

The Black Education Research Center (BERC) at Teachers College, Columbia University debuted Black Studies as the Study of the World: A PK-12 Black Studies Curriculum for New York City Public Schools at its inaugural Summer Conference on July 19-20, 2024. This curriculum aims to expand PK-12 students' knowledge of early African civilizations and contemporary Africa, African-American history, and the global contributions and achievements of peoples of the African diaspora, as well as to explore the enduring impact of racial inequality on society. The curriculum was developed through collaborative efforts involving BERC, the New York City Council, the Education Equity Action Plan (EEAP) initiative and New York City Public Schools. At the conference participants gained pedagogical content knowledge from field experts on teaching and learning Black studies in PK-12 classrooms, and guided explorations of the curriculum’s themes, lessons, and instructional approaches in order to plan for its implementation in classrooms. 

Educators may access the free curriculum on the NYC Schools WeTeach site.

Learn more

BERC has a new website! Visit us at BlackEdResearch.org to learn more about our mission, our research team, current projects, and upcoming events.

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