Masquerading as equitable: using white teachers’ racist communication to guide diversity course revisions

ABSTRACT

Graduate programs for inservice teachers seeking additional credentialing often include a mandatory diversity course. One aim of these types of courses is to help teachers recognize and dismantle their racial biases in hopes that this self-reflection process will enable teachers to use antiracist teaching approaches and create classroom communities where all students feel safe, respected, and justly included in the classroom. We, two practitioner-researchers, both taught separate sections of one such mandatory graduate diversity course for inservice teachers. Instructor photos revealing our race (Author 1: Black, Author 2: White) were the only differences in the fully online, asynchronous course sections. After experiencing/witnessing graduate students’ racial bias towards the Black instructor captured via informal communication posted to the ‘Ask the Instructor’ board, we investigated whether students’ racial bias would be captured in graded coursework. Using both Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) we compared students’ work samples from each course section and found that students’ racial biases were not captured. Our findings help us problematize diversity courses hinged on broad-stroke equity frameworks. Thus, we use CRT to posit course revisions aimed at helping students develop post-racist mindsets and commit to anti-racist practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher thinking and knowledge
• teacher professionalism
• critical race theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. We intentionally capitalize Black and use lowercase for white as a literary way to call for a shifting of power.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chanelle Wilson

Chanelle Wilson is an Assistant Professor of Education at Bryn Mawr College. She teaches courses in teacher education, research methods, and equity. Her research is focused on intercultural sensitivity, multicultural education, critical issues of diversity, urban education, critical race theory, culturally relevant pedagogy, and constructivism.

Elizabeth Soslau

Elizabeth Soslau is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. In addition to providing field instruction for teacher candidates, she teaches courses in action research methods, critical reflection, and equity. Her research is focused on preservice teacher education, critical service learning, and racial literacy.