Elizabeth Smith-Pryor

Elizabeth Smith-Pryor is an Associate Professor of History at Kent State University, specializing in African American History and Women’s/Gender History. She has been affiliated with Kent State since 2001, contributing to both undergraduate and graduate education through courses on American history, civil rights movements, and the history of whiteness. Her research focuses on race, gender, and power dynamics in U.S. history, particularly examining the intersections of these themes in urban contexts.

Education:

• AB in Government from Harvard University (1984)
• J.D. from Stanford Law School (1987)
• PhD in American History from Rutgers University (2001)

Research interests include the modern Civil Rights and Black Power movements, the role of organizations like the National Urban League, and historical legal cases such as the Rhinelander trial. Her award-winning work, Property Rites (2009), analyzes race and identity through a landmark legal case. She is currently completing a monograph on the Urban League’s impact during America’s 'Second Reconstruction.'

Recognitions:

• Ford Foundation Senior Fellowship (2016)

Teaching and advising:

• Undergraduate courses: American history surveys, African-American History, Women’s History
• Graduate courses: Civil Rights/Black Power Movements, History of Whiteness