Shakara Tyler

Shakara Tyler is a Lecturer at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), specializing in Environmental Justice and Food Systems. A returning-generation farmer, educator, and organizer, she centers her work in Black agrarianism, agroecology, and food sovereignty through abolitionist and decolonial frameworks.

• PhD in Community Sustainability, Michigan State University (2019)
• MSc in Community Sustainability with Graduate Certification in Community Engagement, Michigan State University (2013)
• BSc in Agricultural Sciences with minors in Agricultural Education and Communications, Pennsylvania State University (2010)

Her research focuses on participatory and decolonial methodologies in environmental justice movements, particularly within Black farming communities in Michigan and the Mid-Atlantic. She develops community-centered pedagogies for food justice education and activism.

Recent publications highlight her work in Black feminist agrarian ideologies, womanism in agriculture, and systemic barriers faced by Black farmers in accessing USDA credit programs. Her scholarship aligns with critical race and decolonial theories in agrarian contexts.

• Board President, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN)
• Board Member, Detroit People’s Food Co-op (DPFC)
• Co-founder, Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund (DBFLF)
• Member, Black Dirt Farm Collective (BDFC)