Charles L. Geshekter teaches African history at California State University--Chico. Geshekter's publications examine the legacy of European colonialism in Somalia, Somali social history, techniques of documentary film making, and reappraising the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

In 1996-97, Geshekter served as chief policy adviser to the education-finance subcommittee at the California assembly, responsible for overseeing all aspects of education funding for the State of California. His essay, "The Politics of Higher Education Finance in California," appeared in the Spring 1998 issue of Telos. A strong advocate for Proposition 209 in California, he was an expert witness for the plaintiffs in the University of Michigan admissions litigation. He is a member of the board of directors for the California Association of Scholars.