Christopher Knaus, PhD, is a race scholar and critical race theory practitioner who focuses on student voice as a foundation for educational systems transformation. He directs of the inaugural Doctorate in Educational Leadership Program at the University of Washington, Tacoma, where he also serves as professor of education. In addition to preparing and supporting leaders who transform their professional arenas and community contexts, he collaborates to develop and sustain diverse educator pathways that strengthen culturally responsive, socially just approaches. His focus on developing the urban youth voice helps educators to create inclusive, challenging classrooms and schools that provide children with the skills to transform the immediate world they live into one of meaning – one in which addressing social inequalities becomes the purpose of their education. He has visited with students and schools in 12 countries, and his research centers on the silencing impact of racially biased curriculum, pedagogy, and policy on global communities of color. He is currently completing his third book, Whiteness Is the New South Africa: Qualitative Research on Post-Apartheid Racism, based on research that he conducted as a Fulbright Scholar.
