Leticia Ridley

Leticia Ridley is an Assistant Professor of English and Drama at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) campus. Her research focuses on African American theatre, Black feminisms, Black performance theory, and intersections of Black digital studies with performance. She earned her Ph.D. and MA from the University of Maryland, College Park, along with graduate certificates in Critical Theory, Digital Studies, and Women and Gender Studies.

• Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Maryland, College Park
• MA in Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Maryland, College Park
• Graduate Certificate in Critical Theory
• Graduate Certificate in Digital Studies
• Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies

Dr. Ridley's research explores contemporary Black women's performance culture through a Black feminist lens. Her work archives and analyzes performance repertoires by Black women artists like Carrie Mae Weems, Serena Williams, and Beyoncé, emphasizing blackness as a space of freedom and abundance. Recent publications examine Hamilton's intersectional narratives, Jay-Z's 'Moonlight', and Serena Williams' sonic disruptions.

She has received prestigious fellowships, including the Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship and the Mellon-funded AADHum Fellowship. Dr. Ridley co-produces the Black feminist theatre podcast Daughters of Lorraine and contributes to On TAP: A Theatre and Performance Studies Podcast.

• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
• Mellon Foundation African American History, Culture, and Digital Humanities Fellowship