Florida A&M University College of Law professor Areto Imoukhuede has received the Steven S. Goldberg Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law from the Education Law Association (ELA). The award recognizes significant academic work in the field of education law.
Imoukhuede was honored for his article, “The Walk Away from Racial Equality,” which was published in Northwestern University’s Journal of Law and Social Policy. According to the ELA committee, the article was recognized for its “detailed argument around the Supreme Court’s reversion to a pre-Brown era definition of equality and timely addressing of a pressing issue in education law.”
The article discusses recent Supreme Court decisions and argues that these rulings have moved away from the principles established by Brown v. Board of Education. Instead, Imoukhuede contends that the Court is returning to an older framework, similar to Plessy v. Ferguson, where equal treatment is defined superficially without addressing underlying racial hierarchies.
In response to receiving the award, Imoukhuede thanked his colleagues and students at FAMU College of Law for their support. He also acknowledged Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law, Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, and University of Illinois College of Law for their early encouragement during his research process.
