Laurent Reyes

Laurent Reyes is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, committed to research challenging systems of inequality affecting older Black and Latinx adults through qualitative and visual methods. Her work centers community-developed solutions for liberation under systemic oppression.

Dr. Reyes earned her BSW, MSW, and PhD in Social Work from Rutgers University. Prior to academia, she evaluated health and community services access for indigenous, Black, Latinx, and immigrant communities across Mexico and the United States.

Her research focuses on civic participation, immigration, systemic inequality, and intersectional life course theory using participatory community-based and arts-based approaches. She elevates stories of resistance among Latinx and Black elders to reimagine frameworks for civic engagement and community survival strategies.

Recent publications (2020-2024) reveal consistent themes across gerontology, social work, and ethnic studies: civic engagement of older immigrants, urban space transformation by Black older women, and pandemic-related health disparities. The work emphasizes intersectionality, community resilience, and visual/qualitative methodologies to address systemic oppression.

No scientific awards were mentioned in the provided text.

Dr. Reyes collaborates with community members, artists, and non-profits on projects like the Our Way of Life Archive. Her evaluation research includes domestic violence interventions in Ecuador and health access studies, though specific grants remain undocumented.

She leads the Our Way of Life Archive project documenting resistance narratives of Black and Latinx older adults, using visual methods to coconstruct knowledge and support liberation movements.