Shavar Martin

Shavar Martin (he/him)

Passionate about Civil Rights and Global Equality, Shavar Martin is a fourth-year undergraduate transfer student at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies, minoring in Global Poverty and Practice and Human Rights Interdisciplinary. Shavar is the first in his family to attend college. Raised in Jamaica as a child, Shavar witnessed firsthand the global dimension of inequalities. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, with immigrant parents and being faced with inequity reinforced Shavar's striving for change. Shaped by his experiences and dedication to addressing systemic injustice at home, resilience fuels his passion.

Before attending UC Berkeley, Shavar developed his advocacy for more significant mental health services. He focused on increasing access and reducing stigma for marginalized communities across Southern California. Using a universal approach to Public Health campaigns, Shavar advocated for clean and equal access to water and sanitation in Tanzania as a UC Berkeley Human Rights Center Fellow. These experiences broadened Shavar's foundation for a more equitable world.

Shavar's global perspectives and understanding of social justice inform his academic journey. As a distinguished Fellow at The Center for Race and Gender, Shavar has extensive research on race and gender, leveraging his interdisciplinary expertise to address disabling barriers to inequalities. By merging global experience and local awareness for an equitable and just world, Shavar is seeking to focus on ending systemic barriers globally.