Rhodes professor wrote the book and so much more on W.E.B. DuBois
Earl Wright II, a sociology professor at Rhodes College has co-written a book on W.E.B. DuBois and will be featured in “Fifty Key Leaders in Black Social Thought” to be published this fall. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Earl Wright II, one of the nation’s leading scholars on W.E.B. DuBois, grew up in North Memphis and planned to teach at Trezevant High, his alma mater.
He wanted to teach because teachers also coach. That was his dream.
But Elizabeth Higginbotham, a sociology professor at then-Memphis State, recognized the quality of his mind and insisted Wright apply to graduate school.
She was relentless.
Three decades later, Wright is chairman of the sociology department at Rhodes College, has just had his sixth book published — “An Introduction to W. E. B. Du Bois” — which he co-wrote with former student Kalasia S. Ojeh, a sociologist at Kean University in Union, New Jersey.
Topics
Earl Wright II Rhodes College W.E.B. DuBois Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Jane Roberts
Longtime journalist Jane Roberts is a Minnesotan by birth and a Memphian by choice. She's lived and reported in the city more than two decades. She covers business news and features for The Daily Memphian.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.