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Join International House Davis and UC Davis Global Affairs as we commemorate Nelson Mandela’s birthday and legacy on Mandela Day 2024.

Presentation and Conversation: 

• TED-style talks by UC Davis Mandela Washington Fellows visiting from Sub-Saharan Africa.
• A conversation about the legacy of Nelson Mandela with Dr. Shingirai L. Taodzera of UC Davis and Duduzile “Dee” Zondo-Goins, who was a student-leader in the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa in the 1970s.

Listen, learn and be inspired to make a difference!

Popcorn bar and dessert will be served. 

Mandela Day is an annual global celebration that takes place on 18 July to honor the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. This day is a call to action for individuals, communities, and organizations to take time to reflect on Mandela’s values and principles and to make a positive impact in their own communities.

Duduzile “Dee” Zondo-Goins Bio: 

Duduzile “Dee” Zondo-Goins. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was a member of the Soweto Student Representative Council (SSRC) that opposed the Apartheid regime and resulted in the June 16th 1976 Students’ Uprising where the country came to a standstill as students demanded equal education for all South African students- Black and White. At this time Black Students had what was called Bantu Education- really a much inferior brand of education compared to that white students in the country had.

She left the country April 1977 escaping torture and imprisonment. She went to Swaziland where declared herself a refugee under the protection of the United Nations. With the pressure from the South African apartheid regime for the Swaziland government to hand over the SSRC members in their country mounting, refugees were given the choice by the Swazis to go back to South Africa or leave their country. Tanzania and Nigeria offered asylum, passing through Maputo/Mozambique. She proceeded to Tanzania where she remained for 2 and a half years. In 1979 she applied for a scholarship and was accepted by the US. I attended Broome Community College in Binghamton, NY for 2 years where she  got an AA/ASc Diploma. She then transferred to SUNY Brockport in 1981 -1983 where she earned a B.Sc in Social Work. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University-School of Applied Social Sciences in Cleveland, Ohio in 1985 and relocated to California in 1989. She retired as  Social Work Program Director in 2014 after suffering a stroke, and she currently resides in ELk Grove and is a grandmother of 3.