White Racial Identity and Anti-Racist Education: A Catalyst for Change by Sandra M. Lawrence and Beverly Daniel Tatum

Although race and race- results. While some findings reveal related issues permeate and that White teachers have more influence every social institution, positive feelings about people of any White teachers currently color after participating in teaching in schools have had little multicultural courses and programs exposure to a type (Bennet, Niggle & of education in For Whites, the process Stage, 1990; Larke, which the impact involves becoming aware of Wiseman & Bradley, of race on one’s “whiteness,” accepting 1990), it seems that classroom practice this aspect of one’s identity as few of these and student socially meaningful and programs have had development was personally salient, and the ability to systematically ultimately internalizing a influence either examined (Sleeter, realistically positive view of prospective or 1992; Zeichner, whiteness which is not based current teachers' 1993). Some on assumed superiority. views about teacher education themselves as racial programs have responded to this beings or to alter existing teaching disparity by providing teacher practices (McDiarmid & Price, education students with courses 1993; Sleeter, 1992). dealing with multicultural issues as Even though the number of well as with experiences in diverse studies that point to successful classroom settings. Similarly, multicultural and anti-racist some school districts have courses continues to be low, we provided school faculty with believed that what we were doing multicultural professional in our courses with our students development workshops and was more successful than what we programs. Despite these pre- and had read about in formal studies. in-service attempts to address this Sandra's teaching in multicultural "deficiency" in White teachers' education with undergraduate education, few studies of these students and Beverly's teaching programs have been conducted. with practitioners in an anti-racist And because both undergraduate professional development course and professional development were guided by a belief that anti- efforts to prepare teachers to teach racist pedagogy based on the in a diverse world vary greatly in principles of racial identity substance and duration, the limited development could bring about research that has been conducted changes in teachers’ fundamental on these endeavors shows mixed beliefs about race and racism. This

1 article stems from that belief. person may use more than one What follows is a brief description strategy or pattern in responding of the essential elements of our to racial situations, one pattern teaching; as well as the results of often predominates. our efforts to assess the impact of The first status, Contact, is multicultural and anti-racist best described as obliviousness. courses on White participants Being White is viewed as a specifically. "normal" state of being which is rarely reflected upon, and the Understanding White Racial privileges associated with being Identity Development White are simply taken for granted. Since much of our work with A shift from this pattern to the White teachers is guided by our second status, Disintegration, is understanding of Janet Helms’ often precipitated by increased White racial identity development interactions with people of color model (1990, 1995), it may be and/or exposure to new useful to briefly describe it here. information about the reality of In general, racial identity racism, heightening awareness of development theory refers to the White racial privilege and the belief systems that evolve in systematic disadvantages response to the racial group experienced by people of color. categorizations given meaning by This greater awareness is the larger society. In societies like often accompanied by feelings of the U.S., where racial-group guilt, anger and sadness. These membership is an important emotions can lead to denial and determinant of social status, it is resistance to this new learning, but assumed that the development of a they can also be a catalyst for racial identity will occur, to some action. People operating from this degree, in everyone. For Whites, standpoint often try to "convert" the process involves becoming others to their new way of aware of one's "Whiteness," thinking. Such actions are not accepting this aspect of one's always well-received and identity as socially meaningful and individuals may feel considerable personally salient, and ultimately social pressure to "not notice" internalizing a realistically positive racism, and to maintain the status view of whiteness which is not quo. based on assumed superiority. The discomfort of the learning process and fear of social Helms (1995) has identified isolation can result in a six identity statuses (formerly psychological shift to the third called stages) which characterize a status, Reintegration. Feelings of White individual's pattern of guilt and denial may be responding to racial situations in transformed into fear and anger his or her environment. Though a toward people of color. Resentful

2 "blaming the victim" may be used evidenced by a lived commitment as a strategy to avoid dealing with to anti-racist activity, ongoing self- the uncomfortable issue of racism, examination and increased as well as avoiding the struggle to interpersonal effectiveness in abandon racist assumptions and multiracial settings. define a new, anti-racist identity. Though described as the last However, further status, it is important to note that development often takes place if an individual may operate from one remains engaged in the more than one status at a time, personal examination of these and which status predominates issues. The fourth status, may vary with particular situations. Pseudoindependence, is marked However, as one's cross-racial by an intellectual understanding of experiences increase and the unfairness of racism as a understanding about racism system of advantage and a deepens, the latter statuses are recognition of the need to assume more likely to be the ones shaping personal responsibility for an individual's behavior. Because dismantling it. The individual may the ideology of White racial seek to distance him/herself from superiority is so deeply embedded other Whites, and actively seek in our culture, the process of relationships with people of color "unlearning racism" is a journey we as a way of reducing the social need to continue throughout our isolation experienced earlier. lives. These cross-racial interactions may heighten the individual's awareness Design of the Courses of the need to actively examine Both the undergraduate and and redefine the meaning of graduate courses were racially his/her own whiteness. mixed, though predominantly This process of redefinition is White. Of the twenty-four female central to the fifth status, students in the undergraduate Immersion/Emersion. Actively course, there were two African seeking answers to the questions, American students and three "Who am I racially? What does it Latinas. There was also one White really mean to be White in man. Most students were from society?," the individual needs middle-class backgrounds with a information about White allies, few from low-income families. Of those Whites who have worked the forty educators enrolled in the against racism, as role models and in-service course, there were guides for a new way to thinking twenty-eight White participants, about White identity (Tatum, eleven African Americans and one 1994). Latina. The last status, Autonomy, A major focus of both represents the internalization of a courses was to help these current positive White racial identity and is and future educators, both White

3 and of color, become more aware among others, The Dream Keepers of the effects of institutional as well (1995) by Gloria Ladson-Billings as individual forms of racism and and Rethinking Our Classrooms: to prepare them to become agents Teaching for Equity and Justice of change by challenging racist (1994). practices and policies both in their Class sessions were designed teaching and in their daily lives. to be highly interactive and Topics central to the courses involved both discussion and included: an examination of White written reflection. For example, privilege, the cultural and films depicting the roots and institutional manifestations of manifestations of racism were racism, theories of racial identity usually followed by small or large development for Whites and people group discussions; Films such as of color (Helms, 1990) and the Ethnic Notions, A Class Divided and connections between racism and A Tale of O helped participants other systems of oppression. understand more fully the Required readings included destructive ways in which subtle selections from books such as (and not so subtle) racist behaviors Affirming Diversity: The and attitudes influence the daily Sociopolitical Context of Education lives of children in and out of (1992) and Freedom’s Plow: schools. Teaching in the Multicultural Specific group and individual Classroom (1993). Other readings exercises were also used both in central to both courses included and out of the classroom. For “White Racism” by Christine example, one classroom exercise Sleeter (1994); “White Privilege: that seemed to function as a Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” turning point for many by Peggy McIntosh (1989); undergraduate White students in “Talking about race, Learning their understanding of racism and about Racism: The Application of their own White privilege involved Racial Identity Development a read-aloud and writing activity Theory in the Classroom” (1992) (Lawrence, 1996) focused on and “Teaching White Students Peggy McIntosh's "White Privilege: about Racism: The Search for Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" White Allies and the Restoration of (1989). During the class, students Hope" (1994) by Beverly Daniel seated in a circle were asked to Tatum; "Being, Not Doing" by select an index card on which was Andrea Ayvazian (1990); and "Ten written one of McIntosh's Quick Ways to Analyze Children's "privileges." Students were then Books for Racism and Sexism" asked to read aloud, one at a time, (1980). Since we continue to the statement on the card with one revise and update our course qualification. White students are syllabi, more recent additions to asked to read the card as written the required reading list include, while students of color are asked to

4 read the card with a "not" before been able to perceive racism as the verb. Any student could "pass" something external to their lives. if she/he wished. After all They experienced a new privileges had been read, students recognition of themselves as race- were asked to reflect in writing privileged, capable of racist about their experience reading or thoughts and behaviors. Some listening to the read-aloud of educators were able to move "privileges." Oral sharing of beyond feelings of complicity with experiences was then used to racism, to recognize their need to initiate class discussion, a take action to interrupt the discussion which, though oppression now so obvious to emotional, enabled students to them. reevaluate their relationship to Other curricula common to racism. both courses involved weekly One particular exercise in the written reflection papers, analyses professional development course of classroom materials for racial that was pivotal for many White bias and small group sharing of educators involved a taped self- instructional practices and ideas. interview (Tatum, 1992). For this Through these and related assignment, participants were activities, participants received asked to interview themselves near feedback on their views either the beginning of the course privately from the instructor in according to a specific interview writing or orally from class guide which assessed, among other members in small and large group things their prior experience and formats. contact with people of color their attitudes about race and racial Design of Studies issues, their images of people of Not only did we design and color and their personal identity in teach these courses, but we also terms of race. Near the conclusion conducted separate research of the course, participants were studies involving the participants of asked to listen to their tape and the courses. Specifically, the goal then to compose a written analysis of both studies was to determine of their views as expressed at the the impact of the multicultural and time of the interview as well as any anti-racist courses on the racial new perspectives on their identity development and related responses. behavioral changes of the White Through this assignment, enrollees. Because we believed White participants were able to see that new learning about race is a the racism embedded in their process that develops over time, attitudes, racism which previously we wanted to see whether and how was “invisible" to them. They thinking changed and shifted and realized that by avoiding thinking whether new thinking led to new about their "whiteness" they had behaviors.

5 In order to assess such These data were coded, changes, we used qualitative categorized and thematically approaches to data collection and analyzed according to comments, analysis. For one course, Sandra, attitudes and behaviors detailed in with the assistance of one of her Helms’ six statuses of White racial honors' students, Takiema Bunche, identity development (1995). gathered and analyzed interview data and collected samples of Initial Characteristics of Racial student writing. They wanted to Identity determine how and in what ways Data from both courses her undergraduate course in reveal that pre-service and in- multicultural education influenced service teachers entered these her White students' racial identity courses at different stages of racial development (Lawrence & Bunche, identity development. At the 1997). Using a similar design, the beginning of the undergraduate authors collected interview and course, for example, White writing sample data from educators students tended to exhibit thinking enrolled in the professional consistent with the "contact status" development course taught by of development: they generally Beverly in order to determine not thought of themselves as only how teachers' racial identity "prejudice-free" and believed they changed throughout the course, treated all people fairly, regardless but to what extent they acted on of their skin color. Other White those changes in their classrooms people were racist, but not them. with their students (Lawrence & In addition, undergraduates seem Tatum, 1997). to lack awareness of the existence Two sets of interviews were or effects of institutional racism; used for the studies. For the first instead, they thought of racism in interview, questions focused on purely individual terms. prior educational experiences, Many of the White veteran family and community teachers entering the in-service characteristics, previous course, on the other hand, experiences with people of color, presented attitudes characteristic and attitudes about race and racial of the "pseudo-independent issues in society and education. status." They realized that people Interviews at the conclusion of the of color were treated differently course involved the learning the than Whites; they were not "color- students had experienced, the blind" and were genuinely feelings they had during the course concerned about the racial and their opinions of the course oppression that people of color content. Other forms of data experience in this country. But like included samples of students' the undergraduates, they had writing which focused on class given little thought to their racial discussions and required readings. privilege or how their own

6 complacency in regards to racism like so many White women, could reinforce and perpetuate decided that it was easier to be racist policies and practices. In kept in the dark. As long as I did fact, both groups of participants not think about the fact that grave seemed to have a limited oppression exists, I had no awareness of the pervasiveness of responsibility to take any course of cultural racism, the extent to which action. This self-imposed decision they were influenced by was not a conscious one, but a stereotypes, or the degree to which decision nonetheless. people of color were invisible in the Pam, an elementary school school curriculum. For example, teacher, remarked that she had few had thought about the racial never given her racial privilege any implications of tracking, the consideration: educational system's overreliance I do admit that I have rarely on standardized testing for thought of the position I hold placement decisions or the ways in because of my race. I have taken which cultural stereotypes could for granted the power and in most influence teacher expectations. cases the security that my whiteness has given me. Moving Towards an Anti-Racist Neither the graduates nor White Identity the undergraduates had previously Regardless of their initial examined the social power racial identity "status," all conferred on them because of their participants moved along Helms' whiteness. continuum through the course as Many undergraduates and they gained new insight into the graduates alike were surprised to differential treatment accorded to discover how "sanitized" their prior them because of their race and the education had been and to what ways in which experiences of extent the experiences of Native people of color have been either Americans, African Americans, distorted or omitted from the Chinese Americans and other history of this country. For people of color were left out of the example, one of the most profound social studies curriculum. One learning experiences for both undergraduate was so "outraged teachers and teacher education that we spent so much time students was acknowledgment of reviewing the ships that Columbus their own White privilege. Susan, sailed on" in her private school one of the undergraduate students, education that she decided to write reflected on this pivotal new letters to her former teachers and learning in a response paper: administrators to inform them that After the powerful realization her social studies education was that people of color do not have "inadequate due to all the errors of the same advantages as I, I am omission in the social studies upset and angry. I realized that I, curriculum," so that other students

7 would not be as "miseducated in Tracey's inability to the future" as she believed she acknowledge the reality of was. Teachers in the in-service institutional racism, combined with course also acknowledged their her selective perception of "miseducation" and realized that discrimination, is typical of thinking they had a lot of catching up to do that characterizes Helms' if they wanted their students to be "reintegration" status. more informed. As one middle Unfortunately, Tracey seemed school teacher remarked, firmly implanted in this thinking I am also trying to learn the and by the end of the course did history I was never taught in not seem to have experienced any school. I am more questioning of further development of her racial the history I learned and more identity. reflective on how issues and Veteran teachers also concepts are presented. I no experienced painful moments as longer believe everything I read! they recognized their White Their new understanding of privilege. Teachers, like Evelyn, racial privilege and institutional repeatedly wrote about the "guilt manifestations of racism did not associated with unearned come easily, however. Many advantages." But unlike some of undergraduates, especially, the undergraduates, most teachers struggled with feelings of guilt and did not retreat from the burden of shame which accompanied their their feelings. Instead, they new perspective. This discomfort, acknowledged their roles in typical of persons in the maintaining institutional racism "disintegration status," caused and recognized the need to do some students to retreat from the something differently. Rita new information and become captures this view of moving defensive. Tracey, for example, beyond awareness in a reflection tried to minimize the burden she paper: I do indeed have a long way felt at recognizing her White to go on this journey. Awareness privilege by returning to her view is only the beginning, now I have of racism as, individual acts of to make real changes. discrimination, which she too had experienced: Putting Words Into Actions When we were learning Many of the participants in about racism and discrimination the courses, both students and and things, it seemed like the focus veteran teachers, were able to was on Black people or Puerto stick with the course content Ricans or other minorities that are through the help and support of discriminated against, but I've instructors and classmates. They been discriminated against too and were able to deal with their I'm a White person. uncomfortable feelings and channel their need to "make changes" by

8 taking action challenge racism. mixed schools. As their awareness Reading and talking explicitly about grew, they sensed that students White "allies" and empowered were eager to talk about race, but people of color working as change some still felt uncomfortable agents helped pre- and In- facilitating discussions that could service teachers see ways they be "emotionally-charged." With could take responsibility to address time and experience engaging in the racism they witnessed in their similar conversations themselves in lives. To further facilitate the course, they came to realize participants’ thinking in this that they too could conduct such direction, we required the class discussions with their students. members to design an "action Some of their action plans plan" to address racism within their reflected their new race-conscious own sphere of influence. Cynthia, thinking about the importance of one of the undergraduates, wrote addressing issues of race both in about how she felt she had been classroom interactions and in the living "in blinders" referring to her curriculum. Two middle-school obliviousness to racism. She teachers, for example, decided to resolved to continue learning about address racial stereotypes with White racism and about how to be their students while they taught a better White anti-racist ally, and them the fundamentals of essay to come out of silence when she writing. They had students read heard racist jokes and comments. and analyze a newspaper essay In fact, by the end of the course (one which they had read as part she had already put her words into of the course) entitled, "Calling the action: Plays in Black and White," by I actually have people that I Derrick Jackson, a Black journalist, don't invite over [to my house] which dealt with the stereotypical anymore. I like Jane, but her language used by sports husband is a bigot, and I won't put announcers during professional up with it. sports events. Through the use of Like the teacher education this essay, the teachers intended students, veteran teachers also both to "raise students' awareness wrote action plans that involved of racial stereotyping" and make further educating themselves and their curriculum more inclusive by educating others. Since they were using models of good writing that already working in classrooms, included writers of color. they also wrote about changing Greg, a third-grade teacher, their teaching practices. also attempted to make his Throughout the course, many curriculum more inclusive after White teachers acknowledged that realizing that his current Euro- they seldom brought the issue of centric curriculum might be race into their teaching even "sending messages that Black though they taught in racially- cultures are not important." One

9 way that might add a different but a series of courses where anti- perspective to his teaching is to racist and multi-cultural concepts use African countries to illustrate build upon one another. Likewise, points and concepts in his educators currently teaching need geography curriculum instead of more than a one-semester shot of references to Europe or the United anti-racist professional States. By teaching students that development. Follow-up "Accra is on the coast as opposed workshops and institutes would to Boston on the coast," Greg felt help those teachers committed to that he would be validating change to maintain their cultures different than his own. momentum and confront opposition from a society that Reflecting on Our Finding denies the existence of institutional Not all the teacher education racism. Leadership at the school students nor all the teachers who level is also an important factor in enrolled in these anti-racist maintaining momentum. White education courses experienced the educators working to alter the same degree of movement along status quo need the support of Helms' continuum as presented in others like them to discuss and this brief glimpse of our research evaluate their continued growth as and our teaching. While we anti-racist White allies (Ayvazian, believe that everyone's thinking 1995). shifted to some degree, individual Our small-scale studies of factors such as initial level of our courses have confirmed for us resistance, previous exposure to our belief that anti-racist teaching the content and prior multicultural built upon a sound blend of life experiences influence the psychological and pedagogical amount of learning and change theories can be instrumental in that can occur. Although one assisting White educators, both in course can serve as a catalyst that development of their racial helps White educators to progress identities and in a re-visioning of through the statuses of White their current curriculum. While we racial identity, we also realize that are certain that more is needed, one course cannot do it all. In fact, we continue to be encouraged by both undergraduates and veteran the changes that we see in our teachers often spoke and wrote pre-service and in-service about their need for more teachers, and in ourselves as we information, more support and work to prepare teachers who will more time to help them to stay on challenge racist and ethnocentric the path of change. school practices that may seem to We believe that teacher benefit some but are, in reality, a education students need not just detriment to us all. one course in anti-racist education

10 Sandra M. Lawrence, Associate Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke College. Dr. Lawrence teaches courses in anti-racist education to preservice and inservice teachers and directs the middle and secondary education programs at Mount Holyoke. Among her most recent publications are: "Beyond Race Awareness: White Racial Identity and Multicultural Teaching" (1997) in the Journal of Teacher Education and "Bringing White Privilege Into Consciousness" (1996) in Multicultural Education. E-mail: [email protected]

Beverly Daniel Tatum, Professor of Psychology and Education, Mount Holyoke College. Dr. Tatum speaks nationally on the psychology of racism and has published numerous articles in journals including the Harvard Educational Review and Women's Studies Quarterly. She is the author of "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" And Other Conversations About Race (1997).

References Ayvazian, A. 1995. “Interrupting the cycle of oppression: The role of allies as agents of change." Fellowship. January/February: 6-9.

Bennet, C. T., T. Niggle, and F. Stage. 1990. "Preservice multicultura1 teacher education: Predictors of student readiness. "Teaching and Teacher Education. 8.1: 243-254.

Council on Interracial Books for Children. 1980. 'Ten quick ways to analyze children's books." Bigelow, B., et al. 1994. Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity and justice. Rethinking Schools.

Helms, J. E. 1995. "An update of Helms's White and people of color racial identity models". In J.G. Ponterotto, J.M. Casas, L.A.Suzuki, C.M. Alexander, eds. Handbook of multicultural counseling. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Helms, J. E., ed.1990. Black and White racial identity: Theory, research and practice: Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Jackson, D. 1989. "Calling the plays in black and white: Will today's Super Bowl be Black brawn vs. White brains?" Boston Sunday Globe. January 22, p. A25.

Ladson-Billings, G. 1995. The Dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Larke, P., J., D. Wiseman, and C. Bradley. 1990. "The Minority mentorship project: Changing attitudes of preservice teachers for diverse classrooms." Action in Teacher Education. 12.3: 5-11.

Lawrence, S. M. Spring, 1996. "Bringing White privilege into consciousness." Multicultural Education: The Magazine of the National Association for Multicultural Education, pp. 46-48.

Lawrence, S. M. and T. Bunche. 1997. "Feeling and dealing: Teaching White students about racial privilege." Teaching and Teacher Education, 12.5: 531-542.

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Lawrence, S. M. and B.D. Tatum. 1997. "White educators as allies: Moving from awareness to action". In M. Fine, L. Weiss, L. Powell & M. Wong. eds. Off-white: Readings on society, race and culture. NY: Routledge.

McDiarmid, G. W., and J. Price. 1993. "Preparing teachers for diversity: A study of student teachers in a multicultural program". In M. J. O'Hair and S. J. Odell, eds. Diversity and teaching: Teacher education yearbook I. Forth Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

McIntosh, P. 1989. "White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack." Peace and Freedom. July/August: 10-12.

Nieto, S. 1992. Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. NY: Longman.

Perry, T. and J. Fraser,eds. 1993. Freedom's plow: Teaching in the multicultural classroom. NY: Routledge.

Sleeter, C. A. 1992. Keepers of the American dream: A study of staff development and multicultural education. London: Farmer.

Sleeter, C. A. Spring, 1994. "White racism." Multicultural Education, pp 5-8.

Tatum, B. D. 1992. "Talking about race, learning about racism: The application of racial identity development theory in the classroom." Harvard Educational Review. 62 .1: 1-24.

Tatum, B. D. 1994. "Teaching White students about racism: The search for White allies and the restoration of hope." Teachers College Record. 95 .4: 462-476.

Zeichner, K. 1993. Educating teachers for cultural diversity. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Atlanta.

Additional Readings Cross, Jr., W.E. 1991. Shades of black: Diversity in African American identity. Temple, PA: Temple University Press.

Tatum, B. 1997. "Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?" and other conversations about race. NY: Basic Books/Harper Collins.

*Reprinted by the Early Childhood Equity Alliance with permission from the authors*

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