transformation across the higher education sector. In 2015 at the time of writing this paper, widespread protests demanding an accelerated transformation of South African universities were being led by black students and staff. The main demand was for historically white institutions to their curricula and dismantle institutional ‘decolonize’ cultures associated with the maintenance of white privilege (Kamanzi 2015). These demands echo calls from elsewhere in Africa for end to the hegemony of Western ‘an thought and culture’ and the development of higher education curricula that are more responsive and relevant to identity, culture and issues’ (Luckett 2010, 7). ‘African Researching race Given this context, this article reports on research into how racial identities interact with the experience of teaching at a South African university. Looking for race is a complex process. The experience of race at post-apartheid South African universities has taken on a form’ working in conjunction with other social factors, and as such it ‘sublimated is to recognize and name’ (Soudien 2008, 664). Critical race theory (CRT) ‘hard provides a framework and a set of guidelines for applying the concept of race in research (Ritzer 2008). Despite emphasising the centrality of black experience within any context, CRT recognizes the intersectionality with aspects such as gender, class and sexuality. It argues that black people cannot be stereotyped and exist with ‘conflicting, overlapping identities, loyalties and allegiances’ (Delgado and Stefancic 2009). Aligned with CRT has been a series of studies that use the concept of to critique the way that experience’ dominates discourse and identity ‘whiteness’ ‘white positions (Distiller and Steyn 2004). Whiteness refers to the norming of white values and behaviours and the lack of awareness amongst those who identify as white of ongoing white privilege (Steyn 2001). The posited in most education ‘colourblindness’ and related studies, according to these critical whiteness theorists, is evidence of a
transformation across the higher education sector. In 2015 at the time of writing this paper, widespread protests demanding an accelerated transformation of South African universities were being led by black students and staff. The main demand was for historically white institutions to ‘decolonize’ their curricula and dismantle institutional cultures associated with the maintenance of white privilege (Kamanzi 2015). These demands echo calls from elsewhere in Africa for ‘an end to the hegemony of Western thought and culture’ and the development of higher education curricula that are more responsive and relevant to ‘African identity, culture and issues’ (Luckett 2010, 7). Researching race Given this context, this article reports on research into how racial identities interact with the experience of teaching at a South African university. Looking for race is a complex process. The experience of race at post-apartheid South African universities has taken on a ‘sublimated form’ working in conjunction with other social factors, and as such it is ‘hard to recognize and name’ (Soudien 2008, 664). Critical race theory (CRT) provides a framework and a set of guidelines for applying the concept of race in research (Ritzer 2008). Despite emphasising the centrality of black experience within any context, CRT recognizes the intersectionality with aspects such as gender, class and sexuality. It argues that black people cannot be stereotyped and exist with ‘conflicting, overlapping identities, loyalties and allegiances’ (Delgado and Stefancic 2009). Aligned with CRT has been a series of studies that use the concept of ‘whiteness’ to critique the way that ‘white experience’ dominates discourse and identity positions (Distiller and Steyn 2004). Whiteness refers to the norming of white values and behaviours and the lack of awareness amongst those who identify as white of ongoing white privilege (Steyn 2001). The ‘colourblindness’ posited in most education and related studies, according to these critical whiteness theorists, is evidence of a