UC Riverside education professor Rita Kohli has been named the 2026 recipient of the Derrick Bell Legacy Award, a national honor recognizing scholars committed to advancing racial justice in education.
The award was presented this month at the Critical Race Studies in Education Association conference in Portland, Oregon. It acknowledged Kohli’s longstanding contributions to critical race scholarship, mentorship, and community-engaged research.
Kohli, a professor in UCR’s School of Education, studies how racism shapes K-12 schools and teacher preparation, with a focus on the experiences and well-being of teachers of color. She also co-directs the Institute for Teachers of Color Committed to Racial Justice and coordinates UCR’s K-12 Ethnic Studies Pathway.
In a notification letter, the association praised Kohli’s “outstanding contributions” and “enduring commitment to advancing social justice, educational equity, and community-engaged scholarship.”
The Derrick Bell Legacy Award is named after the late legal scholar widely regarded as a founder of critical race theory. The honor is given to educators and researchers whose careers demonstrate both academic impact and advocacy for marginalized communities.
“Derrick Bell challenged us to confront racial injustice with honesty and courage, and that continues to guide how I approach my research, teaching, and community engagement,” Kohli said. “I see this recognition as a responsibility to continue to keep his legacy alive in my work.”
Kohli’s scholarship centers on identifying and challenging racial inequities in education systems. Her research explores how teachers of color navigate and resist racism in schools, and how teacher education programs can better support a diverse and more racially literate teaching force. Her work has helped shape conversations about how schools can better serve marginalized student populations and create more equitable learning environments.
She is the author of “Teachers of Color: Resisting Racism and Reclaiming Education” and co-editor of “Confronting Racism in Teacher Education,” books that draw on firsthand accounts and research to document systemic barriers and call for reforms.
Over the course of her career, Kohli has received numerous national honors, including awards from the American Educational Research Association recognizing her scholarship and impact in teaching and teacher education.