For this dissertation, I carried out a participatory hermeneutic research inquiry on the role race plays in the everyday lives of staff and administrators of color who work at various organizational levels within selected post-secondary institutions. This research explored the current narrative identities of staff and administrators of color within higher education using Ricoeur's theories on narrative identity through research conversations. Recent literature would suggest that new and developing interpretations of race and race relations encourage us to explore and challenge conventional notions of what social justice is and how it plays within organizational life. This research looked at new ways to interpret the issue of race and racial discrimination by using Jurgen Habermas's (1984, 1985) theory of communicative action and theoretical concept of lifeworld to come to new understandings about these issues. This study will provide background on the research topic from the anthropological beginnings of race to race relations in the United States, a literature review related to this research topic, describe the framework of the research process I used in this study, present both primary and secondary analysis of my research, and offer a summary of the overall research study, findings, implications, and recommendations. The findings from my research study suggest that conversations about race/ethnicity and its role in the everyday lives of staff and administrators of color need to re-start. A discourse on race may lead to new interpretations of the issue and potentially expand the lifeworld of others who hear and share the narratives brought to life in this study. While a dialogue on race and ethnicity may start on any level, implications exist for leaders within higher education and those who are developing and implementing policy. This may help shift organizational cultures within institutions of higher education and build socially just communities within academia at institutions across the United States. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]