Professor Marya Mtshali's op-ed, "The Great Outdoors Was Made for White People," was published on The Nation website. The article sheds light on the complex US history of the outdoors and the exclusion of people of color in green spaces. She proposes five alternatives to create more inclusive and accessible outdoor spaces such as "[supporting] local and national government initiatives to fund the engagement of people of color in the outdoors, as well as the creation of more green spaces in low-income communities."

Mtshali has taught courses on Interracial Intimacy: Sex, Race, and Romance in the U.S. and Gender, Race, and Poverty in the United States. She is currently working on her book, Gray Matter: Racialized Heteronormativies in the World of Black-White Interracial Couples.