Can We Talk?: Courageous Conversations About Race In Education

I thoroughly love working with a variety of people in education, but I must tell the truth. I’m really tired of people pretending like there isn’t racism in schools.

Now, that doesn’t mean that every educator is racist. But that does mean that it is possible for you to be both an educator AND have racist beliefs. There is quite a bit of talk in the education world right now about a topic you may not even understand. It’s called, CRITICAL RACE THEORY. States across the USA are rushing to ban this topic from inclusion in curriculum. Think about that, STATES are BANNING the discussion of RACE and its’ relationship to education, politics and culturally accepted norms in schools.

Does that bother anyone else?

At a time when the United States is heavily divided on many issues related to race, where many people of color are experiencing race-based traumatic stress symptoms and those who are looking to unify and create healing want to have honest conversations about race, legislators are using their time and energy to stop the dialogue. That’s very telling to me.

This year I’ve had more people reach out asking for support in the area of diversity and equity in education, administrators wanting professional development and individuals seeking guidance so they can learn. I have enjoyed supplying resources such as ways to support equity after the insurrection and subsequent inauguration, and I’ve been pleased to recommend books and tools on further personal development as people acknowledge that yes, we as educators can also hold bias just like anyone else. So for me, this legislative block feels very dangerous, even aggressive. The fact that some of the legislators promoting these bills are using equity as defense for their passage is something we really should be concerned about. When we twist and confuse education and reflection into something it is not, we are on a very slippery slope to a breakdown in society, from which no one will be immune.

To start, let’s discuss what is being described as critical race theory in as simple terms as possible. The term, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is a bit of a misnomer. It is not in fact a theory about anything other than the idea that race could impact our beliefs, actions and systems of government. It implores us to analyze the ways in which race has been constructed and used by individuals and ultimately how it plays into the larger systems of politics and government. Contrary to some published opinions it does not promote that one race or gender is superior. However, it does ask you to CONSIDER if or how one might have privilege or be disadvantaged by societal norms. At the core, CRT is really a term for CRITICALLY exploring the potential implications of race on our actions. This has been lumped in with discussions about gender equity and legislation is currently being considered or passed to prevent these from being included in school discussions.

So why would government officials want to BAN critical thinking? Good question.

In 2020, prior to losing re-election, former president Trump, signed a bill that was essentially banning “divisive” educational training that included covering topics of race and gender. Behind this federal ruling, many states have taken up the mantle to double down, making sure that curriculums that are taught to students play down conversations specific to racial and gender inequities which leave large holes in the fabric of education. Schools who want to practice inclusion don’t need barriers to bridging the gaps between races and genders, they need additional tools.

While it’s not surprising that the states where there is a huge rush toward legislation are those with difficult racial histories. These are also traditionally more conservative and one of the primary complaints noted by those who support these bills is that including these items presents as too “political”, because there is a high support of expanding the instructional tools used to explore race from those who align with the Democratic party.

Bottom line: exploring race and gender, critically, is not divisive. It is in fact, the only way to begin the process of healing centuries of wounds and decades of silence.

For me, this all feels like a bit of a smoke screen. What we’ve had for years, diversity awareness and tolerant ideologies have done very little to uproot biased and stereotyped beliefs. These soft touch conversations which lend themselves toward the melting pot motif which do not help end racist behaviors. The sheer fact that seeking to actually say race, describing specific racial and ethnic groups by name while outlining patterns of experiences, has triggered this much push back is evidence that the conversations need to occur. The term, critical race theory, which may feel divisive to some, is really designed for greater inclusion and that is what education should be about. And I honestly get very offended when I see politicians passing judgements about what should and shouldn’t be happening in schools without, or against, the input of those of us most impacted by their decisions. There are two groups of people in classroom, students and staff. Give us the tools and let us do what we need to do.

So, what can you do?

First, educate yourself so you can formulate YOUR opinion. Now more than ever I encourage you to get your news from various sources. While I don’t pretend to be a journalist, I do try to pull from reliable sources, but this is in fact my opinion. You are entitled to your own, but I do encourage you to make sure your opinion is informed. There are books that can help you explore your own feelings that may be triggered by exploring your own bias critically. Yes, I do believe we ALL have bias, me included. If you want to be a part of my book study to explore that as well, click here to send me a message and I’ll add you to the list.

Next, voice your opinion. If your state is one of those pushing for legislation reach out to your representatives and let them know how you feel. Talk to your building and district level administrators about why you support inclusive education and start, or continue the conversation about what that will look like in your building.

Finally, teach your students to be critical. I’ve always believed that education is best done by people who believe that we should teach HOW to think and not WHAT to think. That means that we have to get into the habit of helping our students be critical thinkers. In your lessons, always leave room for reflection. Instead of shutting down their youthful exuberance about issues they are passionate about help them channel their passions into helpful endeavors.

Keep talking, keep listening.