AVReQ The Podcast

• Lecture Series | Reparative Justice and Social Justice Scholarship

  In this episode, we explore Prof Saleem Badat's compelling seminar, Reparative Justice and Social Justice Scholarship. Moderated by Dr Anell Daries, the discussion examines the structural and relational harms caused by apartheid and the urgent need for reparative justice in South Africa. Prof Badat draws from personal experiences, such as his detention and torture under apartheid, as well as historical injustices, including forced removals and exclusion in education and sports, to illustrate how reparative justice must address systemic inequalities rather than rely on symbolic gestures. His insights challenge traditional ideas of inclusion and equity, urging South Africans to rethink the true meaning of transformation. The conversation highlights the role of universities and scholars in advancing reparative justice, with Prof Badat emphasizing the importance of authentic engagement and long-term commitments to generational change. He critiques post-apartheid “inclusion” that fails to confront structural inequality and calls for institutions to actively dismantle practices that perpetuate harm. This episode is a thoughtful reflection on the enduring legacies of apartheid and the transformative power of reparative justice, offering valuable insights for anyone invested in social justice and meaningful societal change. Tune in to be challenged, inspired, and moved by Prof Badat’s vision for a more equitable future. Saleem Badat Saleem Badat is a Research Professor in History at the University of the Free State. He was the first CEO of the Council on Higher Education and served as vice-chancellor of Rhodes University. As Program Director at the Mellon Foundation (2014–2019), he led arts and humanities grantmaking for African and Middle East institutions. Combining critical theory and practice, scholarship and activism, his concerns are structure and agency, reproduction and transformation, equity, redress, and social justice in and through universities, and the decolonization and transformation of universities. Prof Badat has authored some 60 book chapters, journal articles and several books, including Tennis, Apartheid and Social Justice (2023), Black Man, You are on Your Own (2009), and received honorary doctorates from the universities of the Free State, York, and Rhodes. His awards include the Inyathelo Exceptional Philanthropy Award and the HSRC-USAF award for research excellence in social justice scholarship.

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• Lecture Series | Addressing Continuities of Trauma in Higher Education | Mays Imad

  In this episode, we engage with Professor Mays Imad's transformative lecture, Addressing Continuities of Trauma in Higher Education: Fostering Equity and Intergenerational Wellbeing. A neuroscientist and educator, Prof Imad seamlessly combines personal anecdotes, cutting-edge research, and student narratives to explore the profound impact of trauma on academic spaces. Drawing from her own experiences growing up in Baghdad and her journey as an educator, she highlights how the 2020 pandemic made trauma more visible, exposing its collective and systemic dimensions. Moderated by Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, the conversation delves into the physiological effects of trauma, the role of institutional courage in fostering resilience, and the importance of empathy and love as guiding principles in education. Prof Imad’s call for educators to reimagine their roles as catalysts for healing and transformation offers an inspiring vision for a more humane higher education system. Through thoughtful engagement with the audience, Prof Imad challenges traditional approaches to education, urging educators to recognise the ancestral wisdom students bring into classrooms. She emphasises that true resilience stems from supportive systems, not individual endurance, and advocates for rethinking academic spaces as environments for growth, healing, and connection. This episode is a powerful reminder of education’s potential to transcend its academic purpose, becoming a force for care and societal transformation. Tune in for an enlightening conversation that will inspire educators, students, and leaders to embrace a more compassionate and inclusive vision for higher learning. Mays Imad Dr Mays Imad’s academic journey began at the University of Michigan–Dearborn, where she pursued philosophy and minored in chemistry. She earned a doctoral degree in cellular & clinical neurobiology, with a minor in biomedical sciences, from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona’s Department of Neuroscience, she joined Pima Community College (PCC), teaching a variety of biology-related subjects. During her tenure at PCC, she founded their Teaching and Learning Center (TLC). Currently an associate professor at Connecticut College, Dr. Imad is interested in understanding the social determinants of student wellbeing and success and conducts research on equity pedagogy. Her work reflects a deep commitment to equity and justice in and through education. With fervor, she advocates for institutions to pay close attention to intergenerational trauma and to prioritize healing and wellbeing. She is a Gardner Institute Fellow, AAC&U Senior STEM Fellow, and a Mind and Life Institute Fellow.

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• Lecture Series | The Afterlife of Apartheid's Immorality Act: Enduring Legacies of the Criminalization of Interracial Desire

  In 1950 the apartheid regime passed the Immorality (Amendment) Act that criminalized heterosexual desire between “Europeans” and “non-Europeans.” During the 35 years the Act was on the statute book over 19,000 South Africans, mostly white men and Black women, were fully prosecuted and more than 11,000 convicted for crossing the colour line for sexual intimacy. The brutality with which the state enforced the Act has been all but forgotten since the democratic transition; the enduring legacies of that brutality have yet to be fully acknowledged let alone addressed by the state and civil society. This presentation will discuss some of the ways the Immorality Act haunts contemporary South Africa. In particular, Prof Klausen will explain how the Act greatly expanded the South African Police’s discretionary power and access to Black women’s bodies, both of which the police vigorously exploited. She argues that centering this dimension of policing during apartheid helps us better understand the ongoing operation of sexual violence perpetrated by police officers against Black women today. In this episode, we explore the enduring legacies of apartheid-era laws in South Africa. In our latest episode, Prof Susanne Klausen presents a compelling lecture on "The Afterlife of Apartheid's Immorality Act: Enduring Legacies of the Criminalization of Interracial Desire." This episode provides an in-depth look at how the Immorality Act, which criminalized interracial relationships, left a lasting impact on South African society long after its repeal. Prof Klausen examines the expanded powers it gave to the police and the subsequent exploitation of Black women's bodies, drawing connections to present-day issues of sexual violence and racial injustice. Following the lecture, Dr. Anell Daries offers a critical response, highlighting the challenges of transformation within South African institutions and the ongoing influence of apartheid-era policies. The episode also includes a dynamic discussion with contributions from various scholars, exploring how historical injustices have become normalized over time and the necessity of addressing these legacies to achieve genuine social justice. Tune in to this episode to gain a deeper understanding of the intricate ways in which apartheid laws continue to shape contemporary South Africa, and the vital importance of confronting these historical harms for a more equitable future. Susanne M. Klausen Susanne M. Klausen is the Julia Gregg Brill Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at The Pennsylvania State University. Her main areas of research are the history of fertility politics in modern South Africa, nationalism and sexuality, and transnational movements for reproductive justice. She is the author of Race, Maternity, and the Politics of Birth Control in South Africa, 1910-1939 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) and Abortion Under Apartheid: Nationalism, Sexuality, and Women’s Reproductive Rights in South Africa (Oxford University Press, 2015) that won the Women’s History Prize awarded by the Canadian Committee on Women’s History (2016) and the Joel Gregory Prize awarded by the Canadian Association of African Studies (2016). Prof Klausen has published articles in a range of scholarly journals and is currently writing a monograph on the criminalization of interracial heterosex in South Africa during apartheid.

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• Lecture Series | African Art, Black Subjectivity, and African Psychology: Refusing Racialized Structures and Embracing Decolonial Potential | Kopano Ratele

  In this episode, Professor Kopano Ratele and Dr. Sophia Sanan engage in a profound dialogue on the intersections of African art, black subjectivity, and African psychology. They explore the challenges of racialized structures within aesthetic and identity theories, particularly against the backdrop of South Africa's colonial legacy. The conversation investigates the radical potential of African psychology for black students, the need to reframe African art as part of the broader art world, and the transformative power of creativity and decolonial thought in redefining African identities and knowledge systems. Kopano Ratele Kopano Ratele is professor of psychology at the University of Stellenbosch and head of the Stellenbosch Centre for Critical and Creative Thought. He is the former director of the SAMRC-Unisa’s Masculinity and Health Research Unit and former research professor at the Unisa where he ran the Transdisciplinary African Psychologies Programme. Ratele was a member of the second Ministerial Committee on Transformation of South African Universities, former chairperson of Sonke Gender Justice, and past president of the Psychological Society of South Africa. He is on the national advisory board for the Future Professors Programme. Ratele has published extensively and his latest books are Why Men Hurt Women and Other Reflections on Love, Violence and Masculinity (2022) and The World Looks Like This From Here: Thoughts on African Psychology (2019). Sophia O Sanan Dr Sophia Olivia Sanan (nee Rosochacki) holds a master’s degree in Sociology (from the Universities of Freiburg, Germany; Jawaharlal Nehru University, India and the University of Cape Town, 2014) and a PhD in Sociology through the University of Cape Town (2024). Her doctoral dissertation investigated politics of identity, loss and heritage through a study of the African art collection at the Iziko South African National Gallery. She has a professional background in African cultural policy development, education and art related research and has taught university students in South Africa, as well as travelling academic programs in Uganda, the USA, Brazil and India. Since late 2020, she has worked with 12 museums in Africa, South America and South Asia, exploring ideas and practices of museology from Southern perspectives. She publishes on themes related to museology in the Global South; race and arts education; race, inequality and visual culture. Resources: https://www.iziko.org.za/news/masterpiece-of-the-month-johannes-phokela/

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  1:04:41
• Lecture Series | Spectres of Reparation in South Africa: Re-encountering the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

  This episode will focus on a compelling book exploring South Africa’s unresolved issue of reparation. It critiques the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s failure to adequately compensate victims of colonization and apartheid, which continues to undermine its processes and legacy. By examining the TRC’s key processes and highlighting their hindrance due to the lack of reparation, the discussion will aim to emphasise the deep-rooted trauma caused by this absence. Furthermore, the discussion will also explore the new concept of “reparative citizenship” to confront these challenges productively. This episode is essential for South Africans grappling with ongoing injustices and offers valuable insights for researchers in post-conflict transitional justice and politics. Prof Jaco Barnard-Naudé Jaco Barnard-Naudé (BCom(Law)(cum laude) LLB(summa cum laude)LLD(UP)MA(UCT)) is Professor of Jurisprudence and Co-Director of the Centre for Rhetoric Studies in the Department of Private Law. In the Faculty, Professor Barnard-Naudé currently serves as the Director of Research. He holds a B2-rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) and is a past recipient of the UCT Fellows Award. In the United Kingdom, Prof Barnard-Naudé was the British Academy’s Newton Advanced Fellow in the Westminster Law & Theory Lab, School of Law at the University of Westminster between 2017 and 2020, and Honorary Research Fellow in the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, University of London in 2019. Prof Joel Modiri Joel M Modiri is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Jurisprudence in the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria. He holds the degrees LLB cum laude (Pret) and PhD (Pret). His PhD thesis was entitled “The Jurisprudence of Steve Biko: A Study in Race, Law and Power in the ‘Afterlife’ of Colonial-apartheid”. His research and teaching interests are located in the broad field of jurisprudence and relate to critical race theory, Black political thought and African philosophy. His current projects intersect under two umbrellas rooted in the ethics and politics of the global Black radical tradition: Azanian critical theory and constitutional abolitionism. He was recently appointed as a United Nations Independent Eminent Expert in the area of race and racial discrimination.

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