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NJCU Announces Dr. Bettina Love as 2024 Commencement Speaker on May 15
Professor, Change Maker and New York Times Best-Selling Author to Receive Honorary Degree
JERSEY CITY, N.J. | New Jersey City University (NJCU) has announced that Dr. Bettina L. Love, a professor, change maker and New York Times Best-Selling Author, will be its 2024 Commencement speaker and will receive an honorary doctorate degree when the university holds its 2024 Commencement exercises on Wednesday, May 15 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
Dr. 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.
"I am deeply honored to accept this prestigious honorary degree from NJCU,” said Dr. Love. “It is a privilege to be recognized by NJCU for my contributions to the field. I am grateful for this acknowledgement and committed to upholding the values and ideals that NJCU represents. Thank you for this incredible honor."
Dr. Love was previously the keynote speaker for NJCU's 42nd Annual Academic Convocation in September 2023 in celebration of the 2023-2024 academic year.
As a co-founder of the Abolitionist Teaching Network (ATN), Dr. Love actively contributes to its mission of nurturing and empowering teachers and parents who are committed to fighting injustice within their educational institutions and communities. She has played a pivotal role in overseeing the distribution of over $250,000 in grants to abolitionist initiatives across the nation. 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 over $15 million to support Black women 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 Washington Post, 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.
Dr. Love will be the lone guest speaker during NJCU’s double ceremony. The first ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will include graduates from the School of Business and the College of Professional Studies. The second ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. and include graduates from the William J. Maxwell College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education, and CAS/Education dual-degree recipients. Doors will open for guests and graduates one hour prior to each ceremony.
About NJCU:
New Jersey City University is a comprehensive public regional institution of higher learning located in Jersey City, N.J., dedicated to the development of our students, our city, our communities, and our state. We are a game-changing force for our students and have been recognized as one of the top colleges in the nation improving their upward economic mobility. In fact, NJCU has been ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and Top 10 in the nation in the CollegeNET Social Mobility Index for 2023. Whether enrolled in one of our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs at our three locations, NJCU students have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of New Jersey.
Contact:
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301