Decentering Whiteness in South Africa

Abstract

Abstract This chapter is part of an ongoing discussion about the desirability of whiteness in South Africa. Drawing on critical race theory, African philosophy, and psychoanalysis, the chapter engages two South Africans—one a black cisgender woman and the other a white cisgender man—to unpack their experiences of race and privilege at the intersection of gender and sexuality. Deploying a new method of mutual reflexivity known as “empathic dialogue,” this conversation reveals how racialized positionalities continue to shape virtually all interpersonal dynamics in South Africa. This analysis drills into the tensions between individual and structural experiences, and the often-painful work of reconciling life in a foundationally racist world. By engaging humility, humanity, and vulnerability to share and learn, empathic dialogue offers a promising interpersonal tool for contending with the enduring desirability of whiteness in South Africa and around the world.