On July 1, 2000, the author became the first black dean of Education in the almost 100 year existence of the formidable University of Pretoria, South Africa. This essay offers a set of meditations on being a black dean in a white university at the birth of a post-apartheid democracy. There are many sides to this narrative. It is a story of leading in a young democracy and about black leadership in a conservative white environment. It is about the emotions and politics of change. It is about engaging established patterns of certainty and control, and managing the inevitability of loss and change. It is about race, reconciliation, and restitution--all at the same time. The challenge for leadership is to enter this sensitive and volatile terrain with caution. Faculty members must demonstrate in public ways their commitment to all students black and white. They must spend time in public places with both black and white student groups. When addressing students, they must move between both languages Afrikaans and English because black students regard English as the language of fairness even though their home language is likely to be a traditional African language. Faculty members must consciously create opportunities and rewards that recognize both black and white students. They must be visible at sports events associated with black students (soccer) and white students (rugby). Further, all students must be introduced to both white and black teachers and school leaders.
