Ashley Dennis

Ashley Dennis is a former Postdoctoral Fellow (2022–2023) in the Department of African and African American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on Black women’s intellectual history, social/political movements, and the history of Black education. She holds a Ph.D. in African American Studies from Northwestern University.

Education:

• Ph.D., African American Studies, Northwestern University

Research Interests: Dr. Dennis examines how Black women educators, librarians, and authors promoted Black cultural and historical education for children during the mid-20th century. Her work bridges intellectual history with social justice frameworks, emphasizing grassroots activism and educational equity.

Recognition:

• Henry Barnard Prize (2021) – History of Education Society
• Drusilla Dunjee Houston Memorial Scholarship Award (2019) – Association of Black Women Historians

Publications & Projects: Her work appears in The History of Education Quarterly, Historical Studies in Education, Black Perspectives, and The Washington Post. She also created a digital tour for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Fellowships: Supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs (Northwestern), and the Black Metropolis Research Consortium.