Gloria Boutte, Carolina Distinguished Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina, has received the 2025 Social Justice in Education Award from the American Educational Research Association. The annual award recognizes an individual who has exemplified the goal of linking education to social justice.
As a scholar, Dr. Boutte focuses on social justice, anti-racism, and pro-Blackness, particularly in the context of the unique educational experiences of African Americans and other culturally and linguistically diverse students. She is the author of more than 100 articles and eight books, including the award-winning We Be Lovin’ Black Children: Learning to Be Literate About the African Diaspora (Myers Education Press, 2021).
A University of South Carolina faculty member since 1991, Dr. Boutte is the founding executive director of the university’s Center for the Education and Equity of African American Students. She has held several leadership roles throughout her tenure, including interim associate dean in the College of Education, program coordinator for the Ph.D. program in teaching and learning, and department chair. She has previously held teaching positions with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and two HBCUs: South Carolina State University and Benedict College.
An HBCU graduate, Dr. Boutte received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. She earned her master’s degree in child development from Iowa State University and her Ph.D. in educational research and human development from the University of South Carolina.
