Educational Background
Dr. Bettina L. Love holds the prestigious William F. Russell Professorship at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is the celebrated author of Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal, a New York Times bestseller. This groundbreaking work earned her the Stowe Prize for Literary Activism, a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize, and long-listed for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize. In 2022, the Kennedy Center honored her as one of their Next 50 Leaders for her dedication to fostering inspiration, inclusivity, and compassion, and in 2024, she was awarded the Truth Award for Excellence in Education from Better Brothers Los Angeles and The Diva Foundation. In 2024, she also received the Black Girl Magic Award at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Dr. Love was a key figure in founding the task force behind the transformative "In Her Hands" initiative, which distributed over $13 million in financial support to Black women across Georgia. As a highly sought-after public speaker, she addresses topics including abolitionist teaching, anti-racism, Hip Hop education, Black girlhood, queer youth, educational reparations, and the role of art-based education in fostering youth civic engagement. Her insights have been featured in prominent media outlets such as 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 recognizing her significant contributions to education. As a public scholar, she regularly contributes to Education Week Opinion on issues of race and education in America. Her book We Want To Do More Than Survive has sold nearly 200,000 copies and remains a staple in classrooms across the country, solidifying her role as a leading voice in education today.
Biographical Information
Dr. Bettina L. Love holds the prestigious William F. Russell Professorship at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller "Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal." In 2022, the Kennedy Center recognized Dr. Love as one of the Next 50 Leaders dedicated to making the world more inspired, inclusive, and compassionate.
Notably, Dr. Love is also a founding member of the Task Force that initiated the groundbreaking program "In Her Hands," one of the largest guaranteed income pilot programs in the United States. This program has successfully disbursed more than $15 million to support Black women residing 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. Dr. Love is also the celebrated author of the bestseller "We Want To Do More Than Survive," solidifying her position as a leading voice in the field of education and social justice.
Honors and Awards
2024 Audie Award Finalist
2024 Black Girl Magic Award
2024 Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize Longlist
2024 Excellence in Education Award, Better Brothers Los Angeles and The Diva Foundation
2024 Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice (2024 Shortlist)
2024 Harriet Beecher Stowe Book Prize
2023 LA Times Book Prize Finalist
2024 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Ranking (position 55)
2024 10th Stowe Prize For Literary Activism
2023 AESA Taylor & Francis Educational Studies Award for the Best Paper of the Year
2023 The Atlantic Coast Conference Unite Award, University of Pittsburgh
2023 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Ranking (position 123)
2022 Boeing – William Allen Distinguished Scholar Series Speaker, Seattle University
2022 Kennedy Center Next 50
2022 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Ranking (position 40)
2022 Laurie M. Tisch Visiting Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University
2021 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Ranking (position 113)
2020 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award