Dr. Mali Delivers 2024 Winnie Mandela Speaker Series Lecture at UMass Boston
Dr. Zoliswa O. Mali, Director of the African Language Program and Senior Lecturer at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies – African Studies Center, delivered the keynote address at the 6th Annual Winnie Mandela Speaker Series & Kwanzaa Celebration at UMass Boston on December 6, 2024. Her presentation, “Dissecting ‘Uprize’: A New Film about Student Protests and Language Expression in Apartheid South Africa,” analyzed the 2024 South African film depicting the 1976 Black South African student protests against Afrikaans language use in schools.
Earlier this year, Dr. Mali received recognition as a Distinguished ALTA Member at the 27th African Language Teachers’ Association Conference for her leadership and contributions to African language education. The National African Language Resource Center (NALRC) presented this honor at the ALTA Conference banquet on April 13, 2024, where she was also celebrated for her sartorial elegance.
Mali brings extensive expertise in African languages and education to Pardee’s African Studies Center, which has been preparing university professors, economists, health workers, government officials, development personnel, and diplomats since 1953. She earned her PhD in second language acquisition, focusing on linguistics and technology, from the University of Iowa. Her academic credentials include a Master’s degree in African languages (with distinction) from the University of Stellenbosch and a BA (Honors) from the University of Fort Hare, South Africa.
Before joining Boston University in 2007, Mali served as a lecturer for isiXhosa linguistics and literature at the University of Fort Hare from 1989 to 2000. Her international experience includes coordinating an African Studies Summer Institute in collaboration with Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, and directing Yale University’s Group Projects Abroad program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2002 and 2003.
Mali’s research interests encompass computer-assisted language learning (CALL), computer-mediated communication (CMC), and the integration of culture and technology in language teaching. She has developed culture-based websites and online activities to enhance language instruction and has undergone training in Assessment according to ACTFL Guidelines as applied to African Languages at NALRC.
The Winnie Mandela Speakers Series event, which included a Kwanzaa celebration led by Dr. Jemadari Kamara, Professor of Africana Studies, was held in the Chancellor’s Conference Room at UMass Boston. The series, organized by the Africa Scholars Forum (ASF), continues to showcase scholars dedicated to Pan-African and African Diasporic Studies.