Alumni of Notable Achievement: John Wright

Dr. John S. Wright's (MA '71, English; PhD '77, American Studies) connection to the University of Minnesota spans decades and has helped shape it in ways that endure to this day. As a student leader in 1968, Wright authored a landmark list of demands calling for greater support, representation, and scholarship opportunities for Black students on campus. Those demands, amplified by a historic 24-hour peaceful occupation of Morrill Hall, helped give rise to the University's African American and African Studies Department, one of the first of its kind in the nation, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Program, which continues to support CLA students more than 55 years later. Wright went on to earn his MA and PhD from the University, chair the Department of Afro American Studies, and receive the Horace T. Morse Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. Through his scholarship, writing, performances, and public lectures, he has worked tirelessly to preserve and celebrate the stories of Black Americans across Minnesota and the nation. A liberal arts education does more than open doors, it shapes lives of purpose, meaning, and impact. Dr. John S. Wright is living proof.