Welcome
Message from the Director
Welcome to the Black Education Research Center (BERC) at Teachers College, Columbia University, where we conduct and analyze research focused on improving the educational experiences and outcomes of Black and other historically disenfranchised students in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Established in September of 2021, the Center’s mission is to generate new knowledge at the intersections of Black studies, culture, politics, and education to inform and transform educational research, policy, and practice in service of equality, opportunity, and excellence. We advance research and scholarship grounded in Black, African-centered, and indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing and use critical and culturally sensitive approaches to examine education policies, practices, and outcomes.
More specifically, our work aims to support our educational researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in their efforts to address the longstanding problem of inequality in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities.
Although we face great challenges ahead in our efforts to inform and transform Black education, we take great joy and hope in the possibility of what we can explore, learn, examine, imagine, and accomplish together.
Sincerely,
Professor and Faculty Director
Black Education Research Center
Teachers College, Columbia University