Ashley Howard

Ashley Howard is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Iowa, specializing in African American history with a focus on the Midwest. She holds a PhD from the University of Illinois and joined UI's faculty in 2019 after teaching at Loyola University, New Orleans. Her research examines intersections of race, class, gender, and regional dynamics in contexts of racial violence and resistance.

Howard's seminal work Midwest Unrest: 1960s Urban Rebellions and the Black Freedom Movement (2025) analyzes uprisings through overlapping racial, class, and gender frameworks. Her scholarship has appeared in Chronicle of Higher Education, NPR, and BBC World News Hour. Notable awards include the 2024 James N. Murray Faculty Award and 2018 James L. Sellers Memorial Prize.

As an educator, Howard emphasizes hands-on learning - e.g., student contributions to the Louisiana on Lockdown report. She prioritizes accessible education, teaching in underserved communities and correctional facilities. Her Mellon Foundation grant (2022) supports projects linking historical memory to contemporary racial justice struggles.

Howard's research also explores pandemic-era disposability frameworks (Violence and Disposability at the Intersection of Twin Pandemics, 2022) and Black Midwest historiography. Her commentary frequently addresses Iowa's racial history, challenging dominant regional narratives.