With hope in her heart to make a groundbreaking change on campus, African American screenwriting and film studies professor Leah Aldridge became a new faculty member of the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts this fall semester. Previously a student at the University of Southern California and professor at Loyola Marymount University, students and faculty are supportive of her expertise and the courses she has taught, such as “Global Cinematic Blackness.”

Aldridge’s hire comes as a part of a recent university push toward diversity and inclusion. On Aug. 19 Chapman President Daniele Struppa sent a mass email to faculty and students stating that “people across the Chapman campuses are devoted to inclusion and to advancing diversity.” He vowed to implement those initiatives, which included hiring more BIPOC faculty with a $500,000 budget.

Aldridge told The Panther someone at Chapman had contacted the University of Southern California, where she had previously received her bachelor’s degree and Ph.D., and her name came up through conversation.

“I decided to come to Chapman because they were very convincing in their desire to diversify faculty,” Aldridge said. “It was an opportunity for me to be a part of something that was growing and changing. I like feeling like I can build and contribute to something, and Chapman gave me the opportunity to do that.”

Aldridge said Chapman wanted to find various ways to incorporate her into the film studies program, and since she has a background in theory and practice she will be teaching both film studies and screenwriting. Although she has only been at Chapman since the fall 2020 semester, Aldridge noted that students and faculty have been very welcoming to her presence. 

“So far, everyone’s desire to be a more inclusive and diverse institution feels sincere and genuine,” Aldridge said. “But I would encourage Chapman to fully lean into it. I encourage the faculty to become more inclusive in their curricula. Are you including queer subjects and queer inclusivity? Are you including literature written by Indigenous folk? Are you seeking alternative ways of teaching that aren’t based on a white, Western, euro-centric model as the only model?”

Aldridge’s main research interest is in the relationship between international distribution and domestic production of Black film and television, and she’s published work on the concept of cinematic Blackness. Through her research, she desires to educate her incoming students on the background of American cinema.

“Hollywood simply created products that reproduced these American ideals, then circulated them around the globe,” Aldridge said. “Doing this has wrapped up American ideals and values in the form of white heroism – so in order to be a star, you had to exhibit these American ideals and values, and this became universal.”

During her time at Chapman, Aldridge wishes to encourage and support the Black community. She wants current Black students and those considering Chapman as the next step in their education to feel at home on campus. 

“You belong,” Aldridge said. “You have value. Don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.”