Dr. James “Manny” Wright is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Temple University and former Associate Professor at San Diego State University. His research critically examines how race, culture, and power shape educational policy and leadership. Drawing on Black radical thought, critical policy analysis, and decolonial theory, his work explores how historically racialized inequities become embedded in school practices—and how educators resist, disrupt, and transform them. His forthcoming book, Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice (Teachers College Press, August 2025), documents the rise of ethnic studies in California as a grassroots, community-driven movement against state-sanctioned erasure. The book has been endorsed by leading scholars including James A. Banks, Christine Sleeter, George Sefa Dei, and Muhammad Khalifa.
With endorsements from leading scholars—including Christine Sleeter, James Banks, and George Sefa Dei—this book documents the political and pedagogical struggle for ethnic studies across California and beyond. Drawing on interviews, critical policy analysis, and decolonial theory, it offers a blueprint for leadership rooted in memory, resistance, and care.
“Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice is essential reading for any educator today. Wright insightfully situates ethnic studies within the deep historical roots of Black struggle and Black intellectual work, as well as student activism and global struggles for justice. He marshals a strong command of history to refute trivial versions of ethnic studies, and to place it squarely with ongoing movements for democracy and justice.”
Christine Sleeter
Professor emerita, California State University Monterey Bay, author of Critical Multicultural Education: Theory and Practice
“Wright contends that an important goal of ethnic studies is not only to infuse the mainstream curriculum with new interpretations and insights that empower marginalized ethnic and racial groups, but to reconstruct society so that it is more equitable and just... This book is an appealing, informative, and encouraging call for educators, leaders, and policymakers to use ethnic studies as a vehicle to make deep structural and transformative institutional changes.”
James A. Banks
Founding Director, Center for Multicultural Education, University of Washington
Series Editor, Multicultural Education Series, Teachers College Press
“What distinguishes this book is its refusal to compartmentalize struggle. Wright connects the local to the global, the historical to the urgent now. This is a deeply spiritual and political book—written with clarity, humility, and conviction. It belongs in the hands of every educator, scholar, and policymaker committed to education as liberation. I give it my highest endorsement.”
George J. Sefa Dei
Professor of social justice education, University of Toronto
“Dr. Wright provides an in-depth examination of the history and implementation of ethnic studies, and particularly in the state of California. Featuring the authentic voices of Black Americans who were directly linked to important periods in the history of the ethnic studies debates, Dr. Wright skillfully guides readers to the connections between ethnic studies, social justice, and educational reform. This book is a must-read for educators and policymakers.”
Linda C. Tillman
Professor emerita, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“In Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice, Wright masterfully explores educational politics through the lenses of decoloniality, Black revolutionary thought, and culturally responsive leadership, illuminating the transformative potential of ethnic studies in the process. The book is a powerful reminder of the profound link between education and liberation, and of the urgent need for communities of color to continue telling their histories, stories, and truths in the face of relentless efforts to erase them.”
Gerardo R. López
Michigan State University, editor-in-chief, Educational Administration Quarterly
An introduction to the concept of "Coloniality Racial-Capitalism and Modernity" (CRCM) to critically analyze how historically privileged Eurocentric knowledge systems and the fusion of racial and economic injustice have shaped the field, ultimately calling for its decolonization.
A critical examination of how mainstream research methodologies perpetuate White supremacy, negatively impacting the education and well-being of Black and other racialized communities while advocating for BIPOC-informed research approaches.
CRILS is a framework that uses qualitative inquiry to help educational leaders recognize biases and humanize school experiences for Black and racially minoritized students by incorporating critical self-reflection into their practice.
authorjameswright@gmail.com