Diamond is a leading scholar in the study of race in education and how it shapes instruction and learning in U.S. schools and school systems. His research focuses on the relationship between social inequality and educational opportunity, examining how leadership, policies, and practices shape students’ educational opportunities and outcomes. Diamond is an advisory board member of the American Sociological Association (ASA)’s Sociology Action Network and a national planning team member of the URBAN Research Network. He is an AERA Fellow and served as chair of the AERA Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education Selection Committee.
“Dr. Diamond’s substantial contributions to the field are demonstrated by his dedication to narrowing the opportunity gap for underrepresented and underresourced students by identifying and removing systematic barriers,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “His work on equity-centered school leadership supports the Brown Lecture’s purpose as a reminder of how research helps us understand and address equity and equality in education.”
Diamond is co-editor of ASA’s journal Sociology of Education and co-author of the book Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools, which won the Eduardo Bonilla-Silva Outstanding Book Award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems Division of Racial and Ethnic Minorities.
Diamond received his B.A. in sociology and political science from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University.
The Brown Lecture, now in its 19th year, was inaugurated by AERA in 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, in which the U.S. Supreme Court took scientific research into account in issuing its landmark ruling ending legal racial segregation.
The 2022 Brown Lecture Selection Committee included AERA Social Justice Action Committee Chair Jamel Donnor (College of William & Mary), AERA Social Justice Action Committee Member Raquel Rall (University of California–Riverside), AERA Past-President Na’ilah Suad Nasir (Spencer Foundation), AERA President Rich Milner (Vanderbilt University), AERA Social Justice Action Committee Member Venus E. Evans-Winters (African American Policy Forum), AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine, and AERA Diversity Officer George L. Wimberly.
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About AERA The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.