I Have Been Waiting: Race and U.S. Higher Education

While much progress has been made towards the quest for racial equality in the education system, there is still much work to be done. In ‘I Have Been Waiting’, Jennifer Simpson pays explicit attention to the ways in which systems of higher education have excluded people of colour, and how white students and teachers might better address issues of race and racism in educational settings.

Simpson’s argument is wide-ranging and incisive. She examines the role of history and the link between racial agency and racial memories; she probes epistemology, claims to authority, and the limits of a knowledge base that draws primarily on what white people know; she analyzes cross-racial dialogues - including barriers and steps to implementation - to reveal the prevalence of assimilationist approaches; and she reiterates the importance of making whiteness visible.

Methodologically, Simpson draws heavily on autoethnography and social analysis, but also provides an excellent historical overview of the issues central to race and higher education, as well a rigorous examination of theoretical discourse from fields including pedagogy, whiteness studies, and feminist thought. ‘I Have Been Waiting’ is an important work, confirming that sustained attention to issues of race in higher education is both difficult and necessary. Suitable for course use, each chapter addresses a particular challenge in the area of race and education, and offers practical guidelines for those interested in anti-racist change. An appendix provides discussion, questions, exercise, and assignments.