Amanda E. Lewis

About the Author

Amanda E. Lewis is a distinguished sociologist and author renowned for her incisive examinations of racial dynamics in educational settings. With a PhD in sociology, she has dedicated her career to uncovering the subtle mechanisms that perpetuate inequality, drawing from extensive fieldwork and interdisciplinary research. Her work bridges academia and public discourse, offering critical insights into how well-meaning institutions can inadvertently sustain systemic racism. As a professor and director of the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Lewis advocates for equitable reforms through her scholarship. Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools, part of the Transgressing Boundaries series in Black Politics and Black Communities, exemplifies her ability to blend rigorous analysis with accessible prose, challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about race and education in America.