The Black Human Rights Tradition
Shingirai Lenon Taodzera
African American and African Studies
Shingirai is an Assistant Professor in the African American and African Studies Department at the University of California, Davis. His research and teaching revolve around the political economy of development in East and Southern Africa, with a focus on the governance of natural resources, particularly oil and minerals, and the impact of resource extraction in rural communities. Shingirai received his PhD in International Development from the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is currently finalizing his first monograph, entitled Resourceful Kingdoms: Customary Institutions, Contested Ownership, and Development in Africa, (Ohio University Press, 2027). This book explores how the inclusion of indigenous customary institutions in the governance of land, minerals, and oil can contribute to political representation, poverty reduction, economic growth, mitigation of environmental harm, and attainment of sustainable development in Africa. Shingirai enjoys biking, hiking, and playing soccer in his spare time. Before coming to UC Davis in 2022, he spent four years as a Research fellow, lecturer and Senior Administrator at Wellesley College, Massachusetts. He was born and raised in Zimbabwe.
A Message to Students and Parents
I am a product of global education. Growing in Zimbabwe, I spent most of my childhood in rural areas, where my parents were schoolteachers. They instilled within my siblings and I the value of education. Several years later, I would become the first in my family to settle in South Africa, where I attained undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). During my time there I also participated in and later worked for the International Human Rights Exchange Program (IHRE), jointly run by Wits and Bard College (New York). The program brought together 30 students from U.S universities and colleges, and 4 students from Zimbabwe to spend a semester at Wits University each year. My experience with IHRE revealed the immense educational value of studying interdisciplinary Human Rights within an African setting, and the exceptionally positive and dynamic impact of intercultural education. It thus sowed the seed for this program at UC Davis. My global education path would lead to Canada for graduate studies, after which I relocated to the United States. Despite living thousands of miles away, I have maintained strong ties with Africa, through my research, professional and family, visiting South Africa, and Uganda at least once a year. With this study abroad program, I am excited to share with my students insights from my African heritage, and the rich learning and travel experience that the South Africa and its people offers, through the lens of Human Rights studies."