uryder's blog

I have never felt more comfortable talking about what is usually considered such an uncomfortable topic than when I'm with Dr. Ryder. She is able to honestly, patiently, and truthfully engage with a class in a way that made me actually want to read all of my materials, think harder, and ask more questions. It's been amazing knowing there is someone who will hear me out while still offering a critical but constructive perspective. Dr. Ryder is clearly passionate about what she teaches, and her passion has encouraged me to pursue further studies relating to race and identity.

--Marley P., Brown University

I was a student in “Sex, Love, Race: Miscegenation, Mixed Race and Interracial Relations.” I have always had an interest in this topic but lacked knowledge of resources. Growing up in pre- and post-Civil Rights Era Virginia, I never quite understood the vehemence fueling segregation. I believe this is a much needed discussion in truly understanding American history.

Professor Ryder's "Sex, Love, & Race" course provided an historical context in which to understand interracial relationships and marriages in the US. What was especially significant about this class was the emphasis on the way in which gender, race, sexuality and class were taken into consideration when we analyzed legal structures, power dynamics in relationships and the politics of inheritances.

This course examines the history of anti-miscegenation legislation in the US. The goal is to understand how such legislation sought to keep people of different races apart and, in so doing, was a primary mechanism for creating and maintaining racial categories.

This course explores the representations of ethnic and racial groups in US film, websites and television. Students gain an understanding of the ways media creates and maintains racial identities. We also examine the ways racial and ethnic minorities have used media to mobilize identities and argue for equality and change.

This course explores the political and social movements of the 1960s in the US. Students gain an understanding of the struggles for justice and equality that characterized much of this crucial decade in our history.

This course is designed to help us understand how African Americans have used symbols to construct and reconstruct images of themselves and their communities over time, primarily through music, public address, and media.

This course presents the major theories, scholars and issues in the field of Women’s and Gender Studies.