About:
Dr. Selina Mudavanhu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies and Media Arts at McMaster University. She holds a PhD in Media Studies from the University of Cape Town and is also a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Johannesburg.
Her research focuses on digital storytelling, with particular attention to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. She examines how individuals, often positioned as “subaltern,” use digital media to speak back to power, articulate lived experiences, and create alternative narratives.
Dr. Mudavanhu brings extensive experience in facilitating digital storytelling workshops across academic and community settings, including at the University of Cape Town. She has collaborated with nonprofit organizations in Cape Town, notably supporting women and children survivors of gender-based violence. Through this work, she co-created the advocacy video Keep the Saartjie Baartman Centre Open, which gained significant traction on social media and contributed to mobilizing critical support during a period of financial crisis.
Alongside her collaborative projects, she also produces reflective digital stories grounded in her own experiences. Following visits to Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle in Ghana, she created The Door of Return. This short digital story explores the emotional and historical resonance of sites connected to the transatlantic slave trade.
Projects:
- The Black Professors Podcast (Co-Founder and Co-Executive Producer, with Dr. Motilola Akinfemisoye-Adejare), 2023– A podcast exploring the experiences, insights, and contributions of Black academics.
- Dear Younger Self (2023) A 22-minute digital storytelling project featuring ten senior undergraduate Black students. Screened on March 1, 2023, at McMaster University as part of Black History Month programming. Developed under the Hindsight 20-20 project in collaboration with the Black Student Success Centre, with support from the Petro-Canada–McMaster University Young Innovator Award (2022).
- Survivor Diaries (2023) A 35-minute digital storytelling project featuring doctoral graduates from Africa who studied in South Africa. Screened on April 4, 2023, as part of a seminar co-hosted by the Gender and Social Justice Program and the Centre for Networked Media and Performance (CNMAP). Supported by the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program and the University of Johannesburg (2022).
