Reviews

Any student is lucky to have her...

Dr. Ryder is not only a knowledgeable scholar, but is also highly skilled at facilitating productive and engaging discussions during class. Numerous times, I have witnessed her gracefully guide students away from making ignorant comments and towards more critical perspectives about race, ethnicity, and identity. Any student is lucky to have her as a professor, and any professor is lucky to have her as a pedagogical role model for engaging issues that are often difficult to discuss.


--Tyler R., Brown University



Dr. Ryder is clearly passionate about what she teaches...


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



Dr. Ryder is an inspiring, innovative and compassionate teacher...


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.


Dr. Ryder's approach challenged my own way of thinking...


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.