Aja Denise Reynolds

Aja Denise Reynolds is an Assistant Professor in the Teacher Education Department at the College of Education, Wayne State University. Her work bridges urban education, critical race theory, and liberatory praxis, with a focus on creating freedom spaces for Black girls through art, activism, and healing. She teaches courses in racial justice, urban education foundations, and gender studies.

Research Interests: Her scholarship centers on the geographies of Black girlhood within the neoliberal-carceral state, exploring how identity, space, and resistance intersect in educational contexts. She employs critical pedagogy and community-engaged methods to challenge systemic inequities and support marginalized youth.

The recent publication Licensing Whiteness (2024) exemplifies her critical analysis of how neoliberalism institutionalizes whiteness through property, contracts, and licensure, reinforcing racial inequity in U.S. education. Her work aligns with broader movements for educational justice and abolitionist teaching.

Professional Engagement: Aja is affiliated with the Education for Liberation Network, where she collaborates with educators, youth, and community organizations to build equitable educational structures. She is committed to increasing pathways for Black and Brown teachers in PreK–12 education and sustaining freedom schooling models.

Teaching: Courses taught include TED2200 (Foundations of Education in Urban Spaces), TED5350 (Topics in Racial Justice in Education), TED5100 (Professional Engagement and Instructional Planning), and GSW5400 (Topics in Gender and Women's Studies).