ABSTRACT
The chapter asserts that there will be no racial equity in higher education (HE) while discriminatory practices that confer white privilege and create material inequalities for Black staff remain unchallenged and unaddressed. In the context of HE, sector schemes that purport to address gender and racial inequality merely serve to mask white privilege. Therefore, while universities profess commitment to equality, racial disparities persist, most pronounced in the access to academic jobs, experiences, pay and progression of people of African descent. The consumer-oriented paradigm of HE reinforces and maintains the racial hierarchy that exists within society, creating a Black underclass in HE. Faculty regimes dominate the upper and middle management strata across the HE sector, controlling research and development funding, the curriculum, recruitment and progression. This chapter focuses on examining the role faculty regimes play in maintaining social closure that results in a Black underclass within the academy.
