IV. Talking About and Understanding Race and Racism
We focus on a discussion of implicit bias based on race and racism because it is the most difficult -ism to discuss. We have also found that, while students are able to take the skills developed in our discussion of implicit bias, race and racism, and apply those skills to an understanding of the relationship between implicit bias and other -isms, they have found it difficult to apply those skills in the other direction, from other -isms to race and racism. For that reason, we focus almost exclusively on implicit racial biases. By using the entire semester to engage in the most difficult conversation, we increase the students' ability to engage with other issues.
At the beginning, we work to make students more comfortable with talking about race. This first assignment is about teaching them how to talk about race and giving them a non-threatening opportunity to talk about their experiences with having a conversation about race. It also provides an opportunity for them to learn about others' experiences.
Here is a list of assignments on talking about race from which you can choose. We tend to assign all the following:
• Read: How to Talk About Race
• Read: Finding Words to Talk About Race
• Read: The Challenges of Talking About Race
• View: How White Americans Talk About Race
• View: Moving the Conversation Forward
Students read the above assignments, view the videos, and then write about their experience talking about race. We ask the following questions:
What is your experience “talking” about race? How often have you talked about race? Has it been formal or casual? Have those conversations been productive or divisive? Have they been in diverse groups? How does the conversation differ when you are in same race group or multi-racial group? In a multi-racial group does the racial make-up of the group make a difference?
We also ask them to discuss their experience with race and racism:
Write a reflection about your experience living in a racialized society. When, did you become first aware of the concept of race? Of your race? Of others race? Have you lived and worked in a diverse community? School? Workplace? How has your “race” affected your life or the life of your family members? Describe a positive experience related to race. Describe a negative experience related to race.
You should read everyone's posting. You may comment on them. Feel free to comment on how your experience is different or the same. Alternatively, how their posting helps you to understand the issues of race, racism, and the law. Remember a person's experience is their perception of reality--it is not false, or untrue--just different and possibly incomplete.
Finally, in preparation for the first assignment on implicit bias, we attempt to make sure that there is a shared understanding of terms like race, prejudice, stereotypes, bias, microaggressions, racism, and discrimination. This shared understanding is essential to developing skills around implicit racial bias and the law and to fostering a productive discussion because we have often found that a major source of difficulty in communicating around this and other topics is different understandings of the same idea.
Here is a list of suggested assignments you can choose from:
• Defining Race
• Read: What is Race?
• Read: Race: Are We So Different?
• View: The Difference Between Us
• Read: Race as a Legal Concept
• Understanding Prejudice, Stereotypes, Bias/Racism, and Discrimination
• View: A Shadow of Hate: A History of Intolerance
• View: Why Do You Think Stereotypes Are True?
• View: Understanding Prejudice
• View: Implicit Bias and Microaggressions: The Macro Impact of Small Acts
• View: If Microaggressions Happened to White People
• View: Define Racism
• View: The System of Racial Inequality
All this is done as an “orientation” exercise designed to be completed before the course starts. It is not graded, but students do get extra credit for making a good faith effort before we begin meeting.
