On 20 July 2023, the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus hosted the "Facing Race Week" event to promote meaningful conversations about racial equality and understanding.

Professor Robert Balfour, the deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning, was the driving force behind this transformative week at the university. His speech sought to challenge prevalent viewpoints, bridge divides, and ignite a collective commitment to constructing a more inclusive and equitable society.

The event, themed “Race in South Africa through different eyes”, marked a major step towards embracing diversity and paving the way for a brighter, more united future.

Prof Balfour says the NWU has been offering these cross-curriculum-themed events on important social questions for South African Society since 2017. Race, gender and language and the intersectionalities between them are explored in a cross-campus programme with external and expert internal speakers participating in discussions that also include students and staff.

He says race discourse and racist discourse or discourse around institutions begin in the home. He would be very encouraged to hear about these experiences because we carry the stereotypes into our adult lives, often despite efforts regarding inclusion and access. This discourse remains on your skin and in your bloodstream throughout your life, he says.

“It is our day-to-day lived experience and energy around these issues that need to be pursued in a continuously focused way in terms of our commitment to transformation. Racist discourse is not simply about unlearning the language of race, it’s about understanding the intersectionalities of race economy, empowerment, advantage, trade and language,” he adds.

Prof Balfour mentions that it has been well-researched in the South African context that when you empower particularly disempowered groups in a society that’s been really fragmented along the lines of privilege and race, the people who have enjoyed the privilege are the most likely to feel threatened by change.

He points out that we shouldn’t underestimate the enormous significance of counter-reaction. Efforts to transform will be met with resistance, and this resistance is a real thing, he says. “It’s not just a discourse matter, it affects your livelihoods, your home environment, your access to education, and your access to productivity,” concludes Prof Balfour.

Prof Robert Balfour is the deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning at the NWU.