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Ashley Farmer

Associate Professor, History & African Diaspora Studies, University of Texas-Austin

A contributor to The Washington Post, Harper's Bazar, and NPR
An expert in African American history, Black women's history, and Black politics

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Dr. Ashley Farmer is an award-winning and internationally known writer, researcher, and cultural analyst who explores and reports on Black history and its implications today. She is an expert in African American History, Black Political organizing, and African American women’s history and is a sought after voice in national conversations about race, gender, and social justice as evidenced by her contributions and interviews with NPR, PBS, The History Channel, and the New York Times. Her most recent book, Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era (UNC Press, 2017) was short-listed for numerous awards, won two honorable mentions for awards in African American and African American women’s history. Farmer holds a BA from Spelman College and an MA and PhD from Harvard University. She has a wide social media following and tweets from @drashleyfarmer and lives in Austin, Texas.

Social Justice in Historical Context: The 2010s have brought multiple uprisings and protest across the country in an effort to further racial equality and social justice. Here, Farmer contextualizes the recent protests in the larger trajectory civil rights history and offers insight into how members of all communities can support equality and access for all.

African American Women’s Leadership Yesterday and Today: Many young people see examples of African American women leaders from Michelle Obama to Oprah Winfrey in popular culture. However, the journeys of these and other African American women leaders is deeper and more complex than most understand. Here, Dr. Farmer shares the history of African American women leaders in multiple sectors of society and culture and offers insight into how to support Black women and girls in their quest to become the next generation of leaders.

The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth. Now that Juneteenth is a federal holiday, many across the country are looking to learn more about this important holiday. In this talk, Farmer explains the history behind the celebration and how individuals, communities, and companies can engage in meaningful commemoration of the holiday today.