In the heart of Berkeley's Department of Gender and Women's Studies, Dr. LaVelle Ridley stands out for her dedication to amplifying marginalized voices. A native of Toledo, Ohio, LaVelle's academic journey has taken her from the Midwest to the West Coast, where she now researches the radical cultural politics of Black transgender women.
"I'm thinking specifically about the ways that Black trans women express their politics and their hopes for a more egalitarian world through the memoirs and autobiographies that they write and circulate."
Her research isn't just confined to theory. LaVelle has built connections with prominent activists such as Janetta Johnson, CEO of the Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP).
LaVelle’s work reflects her personal experiences and evolving identity. "Because my own personal identity and social circumstances were changing and I've lived in different parts of the U.S. between the Midwest and the West Coast, the core of what I wanted to do was always there," she said. "I wanted to find ways to think deeply and with others in collaboration on how marginalized people see the world and understand the world."
Her work is set to culminate in a dissertation-turned-book project that examines how the memoirs of Black trans women like Janet Mock and C.C. McDonald can inform abolitionist and transformative strategies.
Reflecting on her time at Berkeley, LaVelle highlighted the connections she made as the most rewarding aspect. "My favorite thing was the people I got to connect with through the Women's Studies department," she added.
As she prepares for her new role as a tenure-track professor at The Ohio State University, LaVelle's focus remains on teaching and continuing her research. "That's my first tenure track job," she said excitedly. "I'm teaching my first class on pop culture this fall."
She is also working on an anthology project with other trans women of color, titled Paradise on the Margins: World Making by Trans Women of Color. This project embodies her commitment to collaborative scholarship and community engagement.
For LaVelle, the conjunction of personal experience and academic inquiry is not just a professional focus but a lifelong commitment to justice and representation.
"The good feelings and the affirmations that I get from being surrounded by good people, that's what keeps me going," she said.