Workshop Notes: What White Children Need to Know About Race

Workshop Notes:

Text Based Protocol Discussion: What White Children Need to Know About Race  Jeanie Phillips and Kathleen Brinegar

If we are ever to live in a racially just world, Ali Michael argues, we must teach students, especially white students, about race.  She outlines messages about race, content knowledge, and skills to be taught to help students become proactively engaged in conversations about race.  We will unpack the article using a text based seminar focused on the question: What are the implications for Vermont students and Vermont schools?

CCM 424

Resources:

• Really enlightening article: “What White Children Need to Know About Race” (Ali Michael)
• Another resource connected to this topic: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Beverly Daniel Tatum (Sam has a copy - I think)
• Changing Perspectives “awareness if the foundation of empathy”
• Race: The Power of an Illusion (PBS)
• The American Anthropological Association:
• Understandingrace.org
• Teaching Tolerance:
• Perspectives for a Diverse America

Guiding Question:

What are the implications for Vermont students and Vermont schools?

Format:

The Four Agreements for Courageous Conversations:

1. Stay Engaged (remain “morally, emotionally, intellectually, and socially involved in the dialogue”)
2. Experience Discomfort (it is inevitable - but through dialogue, even when uncomfortable, healing and change can begin)
3. Speak Your Truth
4. Expect and Accept Nonclosure (hang out in uncertainty - don’t rush to quick solutions)

*** There are no experts in this conversation/on the topic (this could be a 5th Agreement we could add)

Protocol - Text-based Protocol

Ground Rules

1. Listen Actively
2. Build on what others say
3. Don’t step on others talk
4. Be aware of your assumptions
5. Watch your air time
6. Refer to the text (mention the page number)

Question: What are the implications for Vermont students and Vermont schools?

Notes:

• Not from the text - but Vermont is one of the top 3 whitest states
• “Polite people don’t discuss” - silence is a harmful way to learn about race
• In Winooski, race is part of their day to day activities - focusing on an active conversations makes the community come together
• Experiencing vs. Learning:
• Big misconception: students will naturally develop racial socialization by being surrounded by a diverse student body (osmosis) - rather, students in ANY demographic structure need to learn about race, not just experience it.
• We need to talk to kids about race, not just experience it - just going to a diverse school doesn’t make it that you are 100% knowledgeable about race - page 2
• Steps to take to talk about race: Start on page 4 in the text - but how do we even get this conversation started (maybe it starts on page 3 - creating the white identity?)
• Wondering : Is there less shame if we start the conversation earlier? Is having shame part of the process when talking about race?
• Changing Perspectives
• *** teachers live in the shame too…

• Look at the following bulleted sections from the article (highlight specific issues/areas of focus for working to improve racial socialization at schools):
• Messages about Race
• Content Knowledge
• Skills
• On page 3 - talking about race is not racists - teachers need to be comfortable
• Setting up a culture in our school where talking about race is not racists is essential
• Wondering: How can we get to this type of culture?
• Manage Racial Stress - normalizing the anxieties that we may all have
• When referencing text or a video - it helps to bring it back into source which may or may not be about someone’s views
• Wondering: How can I facilitate the conversation without reinforcing stereotypes? What is the terminology are you suppose to you use?
• Let students explore the terminology safely