Oliver Ayers

Oliver Ayers is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Northeastern University of London and leads the research cluster Cities: Past, Present and Future. His work bridges race studies, urban history, and digital humanities, focusing on racial protest in 20th-century American cities and the Black presence in historical London.

Dr. Ayers co-leads the Mapping Black London digital history project with Professor Nicole Aljoe, collaborating with students across Northeastern’s London, Boston, and Oakland campuses. This initiative explores the Second World War, Ignatius Sancho’s life, and broader Black British history, culminating in partnerships like the Unforgotten Lives exhibition at the London Metropolitan Archives.

His research has been supported by grants including the Learning and Research Development Initiative Grant, a $50,000 Tier-1 seed fund, the CSSH Multigenerational Grant, and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Dr. Ayers’ forthcoming projects include a co-edited edition of The Letters of Ignatius Sancho (Oxford University Press) and a digital book tracing Black London’s pre-1950 history.