The role of the Humanities in decolonising the academy

Abstract

This short paper argues that the #RhodesMustFall movement, which originated at the University of Cape Town, has brought renewed attention to the need to decolonise the academy in South Africa. It further argues that the Humanities are ideally placed to engage with the intellectual problems and questions presented by the decolonisation debate. Deep understanding of these questions are necessary to prevent more of the same ‘techno-bureaucratic fixes’, which, until now, have left South Africa’s universities largely untransformed. While seeking change, however, scholars should avoid performing what Tack and Yang call ‘moves to innocence’ – strategies that distract or deflect attention away from conversations about decolonisation to assuage White guilt.