Dr. William N. Thomas, IV has been an educational leader for the past twenty years in urban public and public charter schools. Dr. Thomas is on the faculty at American University's School of Education, serving as the as a Professorial Lecturer and Director of their Policy and Leadership Doctoral program where he teaches courses centered around antiracism in education, humanizing methodologies for practitioner action research and the influence of Popular Culture on educators. His research interests focus on race and equity in education and how marginalized stakeholders can gain more access, opportunities and empowerment in public school settings.