The reunion of UCT's black alumni from the past 50 years, that took place over the Heritage Day weekend, has raised some questions from alumni and received media attention, including in the Cape Argus.
Some have questioned the place in contemporary South Africa for such a radically selective gathering and, more critically, have questioned whether it is appropriate for me, as Vice-Chancellor; to sanction the establishment of a racially based organisation affiliated to UCT.
I offer the following context to my decision. The existence of the UCT Association of Black Alumni (UCTABA) no doubt will stimulate a debate - but I believe these are debates we have to have, debates about race and reconciliation.
It is concerning how sensitive and difficult discussions are that relate to race issues. These are often complex and complicated, and a purely academic argument is almost impossible. Because our history has such emotional impact on people's lives, we are not yet at a place where painful feelings can be divorced from these discussions. It is further complicated in that there are no easy off-the-shelf answers that are correct in all situations and accepted by all. These complexities make it even more important to continue the debate.
UCTABA is an independent association or affinity group organised by a group of black UCT alumni. It has the support of UCT's Development and Alumni office and in UCT's view, it has a particular goal that we strongly support. Our understanding is that it is not exclusively for black alumni, but for anyone who shares their particular agenda. The existence of UCTABA and its agenda is part of the reconciliation process within UCT.
It is a situation not atypical in the higher education sector and in South Africa in general. Their existence must be seen in the context of the history of UCT as a white liberal university. As such, UCT fought the apartheid government to be allowed to admit black students to study. The liberal universities professed non-racialism and anti-racism. Yet black students experienced the UCT environment as racist.
In the realm of social activities, from admissions to residences, to participation in sports and dances, access to certain facilities, to attitudes of students and staff, there was explicit discrimination. This even extended to the academic sphere in some cases. For example, in medicine, as testified to the TRC by past students, black students could not be taught on white patients or observe autopsies on white cadavers, while no such restrictions existed for white students with respect to black patients. Many black students were so offended by this pervasive discriminatory treatment that they refused to attend their graduation ceremonies.
Many of these alumni say they appreciate the opportunity they had to study at UCT, because of the opportunities it opened up for them, but that they were glad to be out of UCT as soon as they had finished. They recall their experience with some bitterness. They wanted nothing more to do with the university. In fact, for 12 or 13 years after 1994 and in spite of the fact that UCT had been led by two black Vice-Chancellors, UCT's black alumni were absent from most reunions and alumni events, and from participating in the life of the university as members of convocation.
About two years ago a group of black alumni who graduated in the 1970s and 1980s got together to talk about their experiences as students and how to deal with the hurt they still felt. They debated whether they needed to continue isolating themselves from UCT and what reconciliation would require. They identified a need for a forum where they could talk about their experiences, and share them and the lessons of their subsequent career efforts with other younger black alumni, some of whom, even in the post-1994 era, experienced UCT as an alienating environment.
They concluded that the time had come for them to become part of UCT, to identify with and own their university and to contribute to the transformation of UCT - especially through recruiting, mentoring and funding black students from disadvantaged backgrounds. They founded UCTABA and have been successful in bringing many disaffected black alumni back to UCT.
They have become active in engaging with the university and its projects. Very importantly, they have made a commitment to promote philanthropy among the new black middle class, of which they are a part. Their commitment is admirable and they serve a much-needed reconciliatory agenda.
I have no doubt there will come a time when black alumni feel sufficiently part of UCT's past, present and future, and are represented in sufficient numbers in convocation, for their voice to be heard, that UCTABA will have no further reason to exist and will dissolve.
I wish to emphasise that UCT organises many different alumni events with no reference to race. We work hard to create a bond with all UCT alumni and feel privileged that our alumni are growing in diversity, not only in terms of race, but also in terms of socioeconomic backgrounds, geographical origin and current base and nationality.
Dr Max Price is UCT Vice-Chancellor. This article first appeared in Sunday Weekend Argus, October 3, 2010
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