Rokeshia Ashley

Bio

Dr. Rokeshia Renee Ashley is an Assistant Professor who is a Miami native and mother to her daughter, Emery. She is a highly productive scholar whose research on Black women's bodies and Black maternal health has been published in several books and journals, such as Communication, Culture & Critique; The Howard Journal of Communications; Health Communication; and Journal of Black Studies. To broaden the impact of her work, Dr. Ashley published the children's book Sunflower Child in 2020. Born from her original research conducted in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the book provides a remedy for colorism and color caste systems to encourage Black and Brown girls to love, care for, and protect their skin. She is an awardee for the Florida Education Fund's Junior Faculty Fellowship, FIU's Miami Studies Fellowship, NCA Research Cultivation Grant, Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Peronnel TRIO Achiever, University of Missouri Trailblazer Award, and FIU Presidential Leadership Program participant.