Angela Ledford: a goal-oriented professor

By CARL MCDONALD
Staff Writer

According to her peers, Angela Ledford exemplifies a committed individual and a dedicated teacher. Ledford, 50, is a political science professor at The College of Saint Rose. Beyond informing her students about the real world, she also carries a helpful message for anyone willing to learn. This journey started even before she first taught at Saint Rose, 18 years ago. 

At Saint Rose, Ledford teaches courses about political ideologies, social movements and collective violence, feminist and democratic thought, and race and mass incarceration. However, her instruction is not confined to the Saint Rose campus; Ledford brings her teachings to the Legislative Office Building, where she informs people on the topic of state-local politics. She is a member of the New York State Assembly Intern Committee both downtown and at the college. 

When she isn’t in her classroom, Ledford said she loves to get some reading done. She also said she loves to camp, hike and travel.

When it comes to achievements, Ledford highlighted three in the last 15 years: her children. Ledford is a mother to a 15-year-old son, a 12-year-old daughter, and an 11-year-old daughter. The three children already have ideas of what they want for their future, and with her kids looking ahead, Ledford said she wants them to learn basic virtues. She also wants them to question any and everything in today’s world. She cites her kids as her greatest accomplishment of all.

Ledford also authored her first book in 2012, titled “Group Representation, Feminist Theory, and the Promise of Justice.” She is currently in the process of publishing another book alongside David Schultz and Adam Hoffman, two political science professors at other universities. Hoffman operates at Salisbury University in Maryland, and Schultz works at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minn. The book does not have a planned release date, but it does have a title: “New American Plutocracy.” 

In 2005, Ledford met Ryane Straus, another political science professor at Saint Rose. The pair first interacted at a conference meeting. Their interest in teaching and majoring in political science is one of the reasons for their close friendship.

“She is not only a colleague but a best friend,” said Straus. The two regularly hang out either having dinner or drinks. In some of their conversations, they share research for classes. Straus also teaches multiple courses, two of which are Intro to U.S. Politics and Racial Politics. Straus described Ledford as amazing, brilliant, dedicated and caring. Also, she loves her fashion choices. This has often caused Straus to ask Ledford for advice about what to wear. 

Risa Faussette, another professor at Saint Rose, also regards Ledford as a close friend. Faussette has been an instructor at the college since 1999, and teaches history, primarily black history. Some courses she teaches are Urban American history, Caribbean history, and African-American history. 

While Ledford was interviewing for a teaching position at Saint Rose, Faussette was present. During that interview, she said, she saw that Ledford was dedicated and ready for whatever came her way. Faussette said she had hoped that Ledford would receive a job at the college. Ledford, showing her strong work ethic, created a bond between the two professors; the pair also get drinks and have dinner from time to time, and even hang out during the holidays. 

Almost 10 years ago, the pair created a linked course. Students would take one course with Ledford and one with Faussette, which joined together to create the American Dream, a course culminating in a huge project at the end. The linked course concept was well-received by students, according to Faussette. She credits Ledford with changing the game of political science for the better, which has led many students to return to her courses time and time again. Faussette added that Ledford is a key player for the faculty, and that Ledford cares about fixing any issue. Finally, Faussette gave Ledford the title of possibly being the greatest teacher in the school. Faussette, like Straus, also said she loves Ledford’s fashion choices, primarily her shoes. 

Ledford received both a Bachelor and a Master of Arts at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. She then earned her Ph. D. at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. It was the issue of race and class that influenced her decision to major in political science, and ultimately her decision to teach. Her first teaching position was during her time as a doctoral candidate in South Carolina. 

“They never teach you how to teach,” said Ledford. She said that the first time she taught, she was simply put in front of a group of students. 

Ledford is an advocate for human rights. A notable movement she was involved in was removing a famous confederate statue. To this day, one of her goals is to abolish the prison system once and for all. 

While attending Central High School in San Angelo, Texas, she became interested in the prison system because she saw how Mexican-Americans were treated in her rural hometown. Ledford says she wants to get rid of the current prison system by making prison more like rehabilitation areas; she wants prison to avoid killing or severely punishing those who have committed a crime; she wants any type of discrimination, which typically leads people of color to be falsely imprisoned or given unfair sentences, to end. 

Ledford’s dedication to teaching is seen by her colleagues as another thing to love about her. She said that she loves her job, she feels lucky and sees it as a blessing. She said her goal is to help people understand what is going on today; that is all she wants to do.