AERA Holds Its 22nd Annual Brown Lecture in Education Research

On October 23, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), a COSSA governing member, hosted James A. Banks, professor and founder of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, as its 2025 annual Brown lecturer. The Brown Lecture aims to continue the legacy of the Brown v. Board decision by highlighting the role of research in advancing educational equality.

In his lecture, Rethinking Brown When Diversity and Equity Are Imperiled and Democracy Is Fragile, Banks discussed the recent attacks the Trump Administration has made on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and drew upon existing studies to offer several explanations for this resurgence of inequality. He detailed the scapegoating of Black citizens due to fears of financial instability and offered several solutions to challenge institutionalized racism that involve culture-based conversations in institutions of higher education. A recording of the lecture is available on AERA’s website.

This article was contributed by COSSA Intern Anne Tighe.