Dr. Ashley Stone

Senior Director

Dr. Ashley Stone is the Senior Director of the National Racial Equity Initiative for Social Justice (NREI). As Senior Director, she leads the strategic implementation of NREI’s objectives, ensuring the program’s success in addressing systemic injustices that impact the Black community. Additionally, Dr. Stone facilitates the NREI John R. Lewis Social Justice Fellowship – a unique professional development opportunity that integrates both training in policy research and direct experience in the U.S. Congress. Under her leadership, NREI will continue to support the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) mission of advancing racial equity through developing rising leaders, informing policy, and educating the public in the DMV area and beyond. Ashley is an enthusiastic advocate for racial equity and social justice. She has more than twenty years of experience in academic leadership, community engagement, and policy research. Ashley honed her programming expertise in university settings. Previously serving as an academic advisor to undergraduate students from historically marginalized populations, she understands the critical role of strategic collaboration and innovation in advancing social justice initiatives. She has a record of developing and implementing high-impact programs that have resulted in the improved academic performance of her students, while simultaneously cultivating mutually beneficial reciprocal relationships both inside and outside of higher education. Ashley is an educator, scholar, and researcher. Prior to her arrival at CBCF, she held faculty positions, most recently serving as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Dominican University and as the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Postdoctoral Fellow at DePaul University. Ashley’s teaching and research areas include race/racism, gender/sexism, intersectionality, and social inequalities. She has published in a variety of journals, including Sociology of Race and Ethnicity; Women, Gender, and Families of Color; and Humanity and Society – all while maintaining her own column in The Southern Sociologist. Incorporating the philosophy of Soka education into her curricula, Ashley has worked diligently to empower the students she encounters. For her efforts as an educator and mentor, she has received numerous awards, among them the Excellence in Teaching Award from DePaul University. Ashley’s research and teaching interests have also informed her philanthropic endeavors. She contributes to the boards of various community organizations in the areas of education, health, and the arts, where she has conducted research to inform policy and promote equity. Dr. Stone earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Central Florida, an M.A. in Sociology from DePaul University, and a B.A. in Communication and African American Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. A proud Chicago native, she attributes her commitment to social justice to her upbringing in the culturally vibrant and historically significant Bronzeville neighborhood. In her leisure time, Ashley enjoys art, live music, and salsa dancing.