Justene Hill Edwards

Justene Hill Edwards is an Associate Professor at the University of Virginia's College & Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Her work sits at the intersection of African American history, American economic history, and the history of slavery, with a focus on how slavery shaped African American economic life. She has authored two major books: Unfree Markets (2021) and Savings and Trust (2024), the latter being recognized as a Publishers Weekly Best Nonfiction Book of 2024.

• Ph.D., Princeton University (2015)
• M.A., Princeton University (2010)
• M.A., Florida International University (2008)
• B.A., Swarthmore College (2004)

Her research challenges conventional narratives about capitalism's benefits for African Americans during slavery, demonstrating that enslaved economic participation actually reinforced bondage. She analyzes archival records like slaveholder account books and legislative petitions to uncover these dynamics.

Her publications span economic history, business practices, and legal frameworks of slavery. Notably, she exposed the Freedman's Bank's role in perpetuating economic inequality after emancipation. Her work has been reviewed in major outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

• Carnegie Fellow (2022)
• Mellon New Directions Fellowship (2023-26)
• Harold F. Williamson Prize (2025)
• Porchlight Business Book Award (2025)

She serves on the editorial boards of Enterprise & Society, The Journal of the Civil War Era, and the UVA Press, while also acting as a Trustee for Midland School and Board Member at The Shockoe Institute. Her courses include 'American Slavery and the Law' and 'Capitalism and Slavery'.