ReseArch & ReportsThe BMEF is grounded in scholarship. Our co-founder is one of the leading researchers on Black Montessori history and practice, and his published work forms part of the intellectual foundation of everything we do. Below you will find his research alongside field reports relevant to Black educational equity and nonprofit organizational sustainability.
Dr. Sabater's published work recovers and centers Black voices in the history of Montessori education — work that is essential to understanding why culturally responsive Montessori practice matters and what it has always looked like when done well.
Research by Ayize Sabater, Ed.D
Montessori, the Black Child and Culture (Montessori Public, 2026)
Dr. Sabater's most recent publication examines the relationship between Montessori philosophy and Black cultural identity, and what genuinely culturally grounded Montessori practice looks like in community.
Montessori and the Black Child: "Certainly, We Must Go" (AMI/USA, 2022)
An examination of the intersection of Montessori education and the lived experience of Black children, drawing on the legacy of Black educators who understood Montessori as a tool for liberation.
Hidden Black Voices in the History of Montessori Education (American Educational History Journal, 2020)
A scholarly examination of the Black educators and advocates whose contributions to Montessori education have been overlooked or erased from the historical record.
No Hidden Figures: Black Montessori History (Montessori Public, 2019)
An exploration of the documented but underacknowledged presence of Black practitioners in the history of Montessori education — and why that history matters for the field today.
Field Reports
A report documenting the positive impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments in nonprofit organizations — and the case for maintaining them.
A comprehensive look at the persistent funding gaps facing Black-led nonprofit organizations in the United States and what it will take to close them.
BMEF’s Impact Report
The BMEF's inaugural impact report documents our first five years of investment in Black Montessori education — from our founding in the wake of the 2020 national protests through the growth of a diaspora-wide community of educators, families, and programs. It is the first comprehensive account of what the BMEF has built, who it has served, and what it means for the future of Black Montessori education.
For our latest report, check our impact page.