Dean Martha Minow’s most recent book, “In Brown’s Wake: Legacies of America’s Educational Landmark,” recently received The Steven S. Goldberg Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law. The award is given annually by the Education Law Association “in recognition of an outstanding article, book, book chapter, or other form of scholarly legal writing in the field of education law.”
“In Brown’s Wake” explores the repercussions of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education and its effect on the American school system. While some have criticized the decision for not effecting enough change and integration in schools, Minow argues that Brown resulted in a number of positive transformations that reverberated well beyond school systems. She examines its impact on immigrant status, gender, disability, religion, and other identity categories.
In a July 2010 interview with the Supreme Court Blog, Minow said she was motivated to write the book as the 50th anniversary of Brown approached. “As someone who’s been involved in school reform issues as a scholar and as an advocate, I knew about these other repercussions, and assumed other people would talk about them and I didn’t see anyone exploring these influences of Brown beyond the context of race,” she said.
An expert in human rights and advocacy for members of racial and religious minorities, women, children, and persons with disabilities, Minow is the Jeremiah Smith, Jr., Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where she has taught since 1981.
The Education Law Association is national, non-profit organization that promotes the interest and understanding of the legal framework of education and the rights of students, parents, school boards, and school employees.
The award was established in memory of one of ELA’s long-term members, Steven S. Goldberg, who taught education law for many years at Arcadia University and Rutgers University. Before he passed away in 2006, Goldberg expressed a desire to see the organization recognize exceptional talent and scholarly writing in the field of education law.