Meet Dr. Dolana Mogadime: Transforming Education Through Equity and Empowerment

Dr. Dolana Mogadime, a Full Professor in the Faculty of Education at Brock University, has dedicated her career to advancing human rights and equity in education. Drawing inspiration from her influential family members and role models, Dolana has developed open-access materials, led significant projects, and received numerous awards for her contributions.

Her commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment has impacted countless students, empowering the next generation of leaders in education. In her personal life, Dr. Mogadime finds solace in writing poetry and contemplative nature walks, which fuel her passion for making a positive difference in the world.

I started my journey in education and human rights because…

I had role models that I was exposed to early in life, especially aunties who held the vision of human rights as critical for their children. Some were in my extended family, like my aunt Thandeka (Thandi) Luthuli-Gcabashe.

In her book, she explains what life in exile was like and how she galvanized people’s imagination in the United States to better understand the conditions black women and children faced due to apartheid in South Africa.

Others were surrogate aunties, like Kay Livingstone, known for her work at the governmental level regarding multiculturalism and her contributions to radio broadcasting. My mother, Caroline Goodie Tshabalala Mogadime, focused on education and social empowerment through education. Each contributed to society in meaningful ways. Witnessing women’s leadership firsthand was very influential for me, and I held onto that to guide my own interests in serving and bettering the lives of others.

My experience as a South African Canadian scholar has taught me…

The matrilineal line is honoured, respected and held with high regard through cultural expressions like praises and praise poetry. In an article I wrote, South African Canadian Women Reclaiming Revolutionary Storytelling Through Grandmother’s Warrior Eyes, I explained the centrality of the mother line. We give thanks to our mothers, grandmothers whose lives have sustained the wholeness and wellness of the community. They gave us the strength to stand up for ourselves when we need to, through their own examples. When we witness their trailblazing lives, we all have to ask ourselves, “What kind of ancestor will I be to generations to come?” Asking this kind of question can become a guiding light for our actions, it has the potential to illuminate the decisions that we make.

The most unexpected lesson I’ve learned from my research is…

We are all on the path of continuous learning, and the important part is to realize the qualities that come with it: humility, a sense of connectedness, and the understanding that we each have a responsibility to give back. It’s only within a community that nurtures and sustains you that your own development can fully take place. By recognizing this, we can understand the importance of giving back to others. We are all interconnected through oneness. My success is your success; we are bound by our shared humanity, and recognizing that in one another provides strength for us all.

A powerful moment in my career that I’ll never forget is…

An African philosophy like ubuntu is a way of life. The notion of being interconnected and interdependent is a guiding light. I incorporated ubuntu in the project that I lead and am editor of entitled, Mandela Global Human Rights: Peace, Reconciliation and Responsibility A Teacher Guide and Lessons for Educators (2023).

If I could change one thing about the current education system, it would be…

The most important lesson is that self-love, self-acceptance, and self-care are at the heart of realizing your own worthiness and capacity to live a full life. It’s only from the strength of that center that we can foster an appreciation for all of humanity. If I could change the education system, each child would learn that they are a most precious gift to themselves and to the world. They would learn to treat themselves with respect, and then project and amplify that respect in their relationships with everyone.  

The intersection of human rights and education is important because…

The intellectual lineage from which the mentor evolved is as important as the mentor; we are never alone but are sustained by the community. Academics build on the experiences, wisdom, and insights of others as well as our own. We must acknowledge them. It is part of African ways of knowing (epistemology) and being (ontology) to give praises to the ancestors who modeled an ethic of accountability and responsibility for the well-being of others. They sustained the community. A highlight of my academic journey was writing a seminal piece on Black Feminism, published by the Journal of Contemporary Issues in Education. There, I reviewed and discussed Black women’s contributions to the academy that span over 50 years.

Balancing leadership and personal life as a woman means…

I start each morning by thinking about what I am grateful for. I am inspired by poetry and prose, which provide a creative outlet to help me make sense of what I believe is important. They serve as communicative tools and foster deep conversations with the quiet place within where I can find guidance and wisdom for life’s challenges. When seeking an answer that doesn’t seem obvious, I enter that quiet place and allow my creative thoughts to flow. The answers that poetry provides are often uplifting and offer a resolve for positive next steps. Poetry is my muse and passion.

The one piece of advice I give that I have trouble following myself is…

I need to relax more. Take time to go to the gym and work up a sweat. In the past when I made sure to do that, and by putting myself first in those instances I was healthier. I need to take my own advice when I suggest that someone, I care about, do the same. 

The thing I love most about what I do is…

The fact that my students are doing remarkably well is what I love most about what I do. I loved being part of their growth and supporting their academic development. They are now leaders in their respective fields. They came into my Master of Education classes right out of their undergraduate studies, and I provided a supportive, encouraging space that instilled the notion of women’s self-empowerment. They went on to earn their PhDs and are now leaders in their fields. For example, they are now working in their school boards in the area of Human Rights, as well as serving as professors of education and Deans of Education. In some instances, they have surpassed me, and nothing is more edifying than the honor of being part of the process.

If I were to pick one thing that has helped me succeed, it would be…

Keeping the dream alive. This means knowing it may take time for ideas to take root and incubate. Having faith and believing in yourself is the most critically important part of research. Responding to unexpected calls to collaborate on projects is an honor, such as when I became co-editor of the research topic (2023) entitled ‘Women in Teacher Education: Gendered Stories of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education,’ dedicated to International Women’s Day on March 8. Recognizing that collaborations of that nature are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and simply being present in the moment can lead to unexpected positive outcomes.

If you googled me, you still wouldn’t know…

My home name is Dolly. My closet of friends call me Dolly. The name Dolana in Zulu means a doll, so I grew up being called Dolly. I was named after my mother’s favourite aunt Dolana (Dolly) Gcabashe (she was sister to my mother’s mother, Esther Dudu Tshabalala). Dolana was the mother-in-law to my auntie Thandeka (Thandi) Luthuli-Gcabashe. She was a mid-wife and supported women in Edendale, South Africa to give birth due to a shortage of health care for Black women in South Africa during apartheid. I feel her name is significant for how I think about my role in society. In that I recognize how education can be the midwife, in service of giving birth to experiences of self-actualization among the women that I teach.

One thing that always brings me back to my purpose is…

Reflecting on the fact that we have little time here on this planet, and that using that precious time to fulfill our purpose will mean that we have not wasted a single moment. 

The future of equity and inclusion in education looks bright because…

We ourselves carry the potential to make positive changes visible. Dedicating your energy to a positive vision can bring us all closer, one person at a time. The idea of being a drop in the ocean that creates a ripple effect is one of the most enduring insights anyone can have.