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Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice

James Wright

Publication Date: August 22, 2025

Pages: 192

Series: Multicultural Education Series

Available Formats
PAPERBACK
ISBN: 9780807787847
$42.95
HARDCOVER
ISBN: 9780807787854
$129.00
EBOOK
ISBN: 9780807783474
$42.95
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Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice 9780807787847
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  • Description
  • Author
  • Reviews

Description+

This timely book serves as a vital tool for educators, administrators, policymakers, and community organizers working toward transformative education.

Through a combination of policy analysis, interviews with educators and policymakers, and case studies from across the United States and beyond, Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice illuminates the challenges and opportunities of implementing ethnic studies curricula.
The author explores the emergence and implementation of ethnic studies legislation in California—AB 1460 (mandating ethnic studies in California State Universities) and AB 101 (an ethnic studies graduation requirement for all California public and charter high schools) —tracing their roots to broader social justice movements and specific historical struggles within marginalized communities in the United States.
Featuring research-based insights, actionable recommendations, and practical resources, this book provides a nuanced analysis of how ethnic studies policies can foster equity and overcome systemic barriers in K–12 and higher education.
Book Features:

  • Explores the intersection of policy and practice through a cross-sector analysis of ethnic studies in K–12 and higher education.
  • Features research-based insights from interviews and case studies across diverse educational contexts.
  • Highlights the historical and contemporary role of social justice movements and countermovements in shaping education policy.
  • Includes guidance and practical tools, such as implementation frameworks, policy evaluation tools, and strategies for overcoming resistance.

Author+

James “Manny” Wright is an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development at Temple University and former associate professor at San Diego State University.

Reviews+

“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

“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

“This book is a vital and timely intervention in the fields of ethnic studies, decolonial education, and educational leadership. The author brilliantly traces the political genealogy of ethnic studies while foregrounding the epistemic struggles of racialized communities who have long resisted the erasure of their histories. In an era of resurgent right-wing attacks on critical knowledge, this work reclaims ethnic studies as both an intellectual and political project rooted in decolonial praxis. It is essential reading for anyone committed to dismantling colonial logics in education and building liberatory futures from below.”
—Ramón Grosfoguel, professor of Chicano/Latino studies, UC Berkeley

“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

“Professor Wright offers a compelling story that must be at the center of how we understand both education and justice. In this contemporary historical masterpiece, Wright links the ethnic studies movement and the struggle for justice in U.S. education to the Black struggle, and lays the groundwork for how we should move forward with restoring not only democracy and justice, but the very humanity of our nation. This book makes it clear that we cannot run from our past. And by centering histories of Black struggles through civil rights, he continues the push for educators to consider new ways of reforming education for our most vulnerable students.”
—Muhammad Khalifa, professor, educational administration and executive director of Urban and Rural Initiatives, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University

"James Wright’s compelling and timely book is a powerful contribution to the field—reminding us that transformative education, particularly ethnic studies, emerges from the embodied struggles of racially minoritized communities while being shaped by broader transnational forces. Grounded in decolonial thought, historical analysis, and rich interview data, this layered work is essential reading for those seeking to reimagine education toward justice, equity, and collective liberation, while grappling with the struggles, contestations, and hopes that shape this journey."
—Riyad A. Shahjahan, professor of higher, adult, and lifelong education, Michigan State University

“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

“Ethnic studies is a legacy and a lifeline. In Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice, James Wright reveals how policy gets actualized inside schools, and how the fight for educational equity must be pursued, imagined, and embodied in real time.”
—Vajra Watson, Naslund Endowed Dean of the School of Education, University of Redlands, and author of Transformative Schooling: Towards Racial Equity in Education

“Wright offers a powerful roadmap for educators committed to truth-telling in an era of erasure, reclaiming ethnic studies as insurgent, decolonial pedagogy rooted in global and anti-imperial struggles. Refusing neutrality, this book insists that teaching must confront empire and racial capitalism, and that classrooms can be spaces of collective resistance and liberation.”
—Arshad I. Ali, associate professor, University of California, Santa Cruz

$42.95

Professors: Request an Exam Copy

Print copies available for US orders only. For orders outside the US, see our international distributors.

Books In This Series
Is Everyone Really Equal?
Is Everyone Really Equal?
Race, Curriculum, and the Politics of Educational Justice
Race, Curriculum, and the Politics of Educational Justice
Fostering School–Family Relationships in Multicultural Communities
Fostering School–Family Relationships in Multicultural Communities
Critical Theory, Methods, and Design in Educational Research
Critical Theory, Methods, and Design in Educational Research
Affirming Student Ethnic Identities
Affirming Student Ethnic Identities
Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice
Critical Ethnic Studies and the Global Pursuit of Justice
Let's Talk About DEI
Let's Talk About DEI
Why Historically Black Colleges and Universities Matter
Why Historically Black Colleges and Universities Matter
Hidden in Blackness
Hidden in Blackness
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