CCAR Challenge

After attending Courageous Conversations about Race Exploration your journey has just begun. The district is working on creating more and more spaces for us all to grow and collaborate in this journey. This site will be updated as we go with opportunities for collaboration and personal growth.

Below you will find an additional journey through Courageous Conversations you can go through and experience yourself or join with colleagues, and continue the journey together. It is recommended to go through the Six Conditions in order as outlined in Courageous Conversations Exploration. Below you will find a variety of activities to engage with to deepen your understanding and continue your journey.

You are encouraged to track your activities and next steps using this Google Sheets template. (Please make a copy into your Google Drive)

You can also use this template for your reflections listed below. (please make a copy into your Google Drive)

Cult of Pedagogy- How one district learned to talk about race (with Glenn Singleton)- transcript


Activities below will be in one of the categories of:

  • Read- an article to read on specific topics

  • Listen- podcast series or specific episodes

  • Watch- TED Talks, webinars, Youtube videos, or documentaries

  • Notice- words, actions, societal structures to observe as you navigate the spaces you are in

  • Reflect- You can choose to create a Google Doc, a notebook, voice memos, or some other way to reflect as you continue your journey. Specific reflection questions to consider are provided.

  • Connect- Links to other sites and organizations with further resources or connections.

  • Act- specific steps you can take within your locus of control

Four Agreements

Read

Watch

Listen

Reflect

  • Four Agreements Reflection

  • During a conversation about race, have you ever experienced disengagement from the conversation? How did it impact the dialogue?

  • Have you ever felt discomfort during a conversation on race? If so, did you work through the discomfort successfully, or was it left unresolved?

  • Which emotions prevent you from speaking your truth during interracial conversations about race? Which conditions can make it safer for you to deal with your racial fears and speak your truth?

  • Why is it necessary to expect and accept non-closure when dealing with race?

Connect

Act

  • Find an article or current event and have a 10 minute conversation with someone centering yourself in the four agreements.

  • 28 common racist attitudes and behaviors

  • Responding to everyday bigotry: Speak Up!

  • Monitor specifically how:

      • You stay engaged in the conversation

      • How you work to keep them engaged

      • Are you able to speak your truth?

      • Do you encourage them to speak their truth?

      • Are you stepping out of you comfort zone?

      • How do you end the conversation in a manner to keep the conversation going later and accepting nonclosure?

Courageous Conversations Compass

Courageous Conversations Compass and explanation PDF

Courageous Conversations Compass Jamboard (please make a copy to your Google Drive)

Courageous Conversations Compass Image

Google Slides

Find any article on race and while reading find yourself on the Compass. Reflect on what it would be if you were at a different location on the Compass.

Find any video on race and while watching find yourself on the Compass. Reflect on what it would be if you were at a different location on the Compass.


Condition 1: Focus on the personal, local and immediate

Read

Listen

Watch

Notice

  • Notice in your daily life when you feel bias in your interactions

  • When do you notice your race throughout the day?

  • Ibram X Kendi says we need to move beyond saying “racist” and “not racist.” Instead, some white people are practicing anti-racism by (1) divesting themselves of white fragility and defensiveness and choosing to continue to learn and listen to Black folks and (2) dismantling white supremacy in the institutions around them. White supremacy is not just targeted murder of Black men by police. White supremacy pervades every institution — places of work, education, criminal justice, healthcare, government, banks, places of worship, etc. It is our work to dismantle white supremacy in all of these institutions, not just the police. Those who are not practicing anti-racism are perpetuating white supremacy. And we cannot do the external work without doing the internal work.

Reflect

  • How do you benefit or suffer from the racial hieracrchy in society?

  • What are ways you specifically wield privilege and work to maintain the racial status quo?

  • How have you responded when you've witnessed racist words or actions from individuals in your life?

Connect

  • Find school or district data by race. Have a discussion with a colleague about what you notice. Focus on the personal, local and immediate.

  • hollaback!

Act

Condition 2: Isolate Race

Read

Listen

Watch

Notice

Reflect

  • Have you ever thought "I don't see race or color"?

  • Have you ever wondered that the world would be better if we didn't concentrate on race and eveyrone was just treated equal?

  • What would you say to someone who argues "there is only one race- the human race"?

Connect

Act


Condition 3: Normalize Social Construction and Multiple Perspectives

Read

Listen

Watch

Notice

  • How are diverse voices provided space in team meetings at your school?

  • How often do you engage in conversations with individuals with different viewpoints from yourself?

Reflect

  • What aspects of your students, their families, and the greater community are you aware of? What do you need to learn more about?

  • What would happen if someone only told one part of the story related to your life experience? How would it impact you?

Connect

Act

  • Find an article or current event and have a 10 minute conversation with someone centering yourself in the four agreements.

  • Create an activity or opportunity for students and/or families to share about themselves, specifically aspects of themselves that might not be as well known.

  • Step out of your comfort zone and visit other areas of the city that you might not visit as often. Might include shopping at a different grocery store, getting food from a new restaurant, attending religious services somewhere new, or other opportunities across the city otherthan your usual neighborhood.

  • Racing towards equality: why talking to your kids about race is good for everyone (25 minute module)


Condition 4: Monitoring Agreements and Conditions and Establish Parameters

Read

Listen

Watch

Notice

  • What strategies, language or actions do you see from individuals to avoid conversations about race?

  • How do you observe aspects of "White Talk" compared to "Color Commentary" within your work or social conversations?

  • How do staff members arrange themselves for meetings and PD? Who sits with whom and where?

  • How much time is spent on topics of race?

Reflect

  • What strategies, language or actions do you see yourself using to avoid conversations about race?

  • Have you found yourself apathetic to racism (or "looking the other way")?

  • Leadership: How do you find time for conversations about race? Where on the agenda do these conversations occur?

Connect

Act

  • Create time and space to discuss an article, video, current event with a group of individuals within your locus of control. Monitor your use of the Four Agreements and what parameters are created for the conversation.

  • Have all staff, colleagues or family have a conversation utilziing the Courageous Conversation Compass, identifying which quadrant of the compass they find themselves.

Condition 5: Use a Working Definition of Race

Read


Listen

Watch

Notice

  • Notice any historical aspects of racism that are still present today in our school system or society as a whole.

  • When do you notice your race and your life impacted by your race?

  • When do you notice your privileges? (White privilege or any other privilege you might have).

  • When do you notice you do not have a specific privilege? (White privilege or any other privilege)

Reflect

  • How do you define race?

  • What were you taught about the history of race in the country? How has what you know changed over time?

  • What can you do to continue to grow in your understanding of the historical and current realities of race in the country, state, and city of Milwaukee?

  • What percentage of your life is affected by your race? When do you more notice your race over other times?

Connect

Act

Condition 6: Examine the Presence and Role of Whiteness

Read

Listen

Watch

Notice

Reflect

  • How is your world view centered in Whiteness?

  • If you identify as White, how have you centered yourself as a White person in non-White conversations?

  • What racist beliefs have you internalized?

  • How can you work to de-center Whiteness in your work and social life?

  • What privileges are you willing to put on the line?

  • What percentage of your life is impacted by race? Has your answer changed over time? Why?

Connect

Act


Racial Equity Leadership

Read

Watch

Listen

Notice


Reflect

  • Have you ever felt racially invisible or hyper-visible?

  • What motivates you to engage in Courageous Convesations work in your personal and professional spheres of influence?

  • What motivates you to rise above any fears in your quest for racial equity in the future?

  • How have you been personally affected by stereotype threat?

Connect

Act

Author Frederick Joseph created a 5-day challenge focusing on actionable steps to be a better ally to marginalized or disenfranchised groups with Yahoo! Each day featured a short video with Frederick, personal reflections and actionable next steps.