After reading the article, White Students No Longer To Be Majority In School, it is clear that teachers need to know how to navigate difficult dialogues on race and racism in the classroom. However, tension, discomfort, and an unsatisfactory resolution to the difficult dialogues leave students feeling attacked or invalidated, frustrated, and exhausted.
Derald W. Sue, a psychology professor at Columbia University, suggests the following basic principles as guidelines for teachers facilitating difficult dialogues about race: (a) legitimize the discussion of race, (b) validate the feelings of the participants in class, (c) accept the different racial reality from students of color, (d) demonstrate a comfort level in addressing race and racism, and (e) use a direct approach to manage the discussion. These suggestions encourage teachers to participate in open and honest discussions about race and racism in a manner that enhances racial sensitivity. Open and honest discussions about race and racism may help promote the emotional health and school-connectedness of minority students and encourage successful negotiation of the racial tensions inherent in teacher-student interactions in the classroom.
by Gwendolyn Miller