Biography

Dr. Ayana Best is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Howard University. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California in 2022. Her research primarily focuses on the effects of violence on Black women's political behavior and attitudes. Her forthcoming book Saving Ourselves: How Black Women Resist the Police State examines the effects of negative police encounters on Black women's perceptions of government and their political actions taken to resist state control. Dr. Best has received the American Political Science Association Minority Serving Institution Virtual Book Workshop Award in 2024 and the Rodney Higgins Best Faculty Paper Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists in 2025.