Howard Rambsy II teaches African American and American literature and directs the Black Studies Program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His areas of concentration include black literary history, poetry, visual culture, and the interactions of race and technology. He has produced writings on Richard Wright, modern African American poetry, and contemporary writers, including Colson Whitehead, Tyehimba Jess, and Kevin Young.  He has also designed exhibits that blend photographic images and literary art.