BIPOC Educators Working with Predominantly White Students

Dr. Dyan Watson, an associate professor in teacher education, writes about talking with nearly all white teacher candidate students and creating a safe space in her classroom, explaining, “And by safe, I don’t mean a place where folks won’t get offended or angry or feel pain. I mean safe enough to feel all of these emotions and more, but still want to come back because the learning is that good and productive. The more I make race visible to my students, the more they talk about it and become comfortable with the uneasiness of talking about race with people of color.”

BIPOC teachers experience the invisible tax in many ways, not least of which is the expectation - spoken or unspoken - that they will lead the charge at the next DEI meeting or represent all Black folks’ perspectives everywhere from PLCs to district-wide meetings. This extra work is not mitigated by the importance of their presence, but that significance bears stating. In an Atlantic article, education professor Gloria Ladson-Billings notes that, “‘It is important for white students to encounter black people who are knowledgeable...What opportunities do white students have to see and experience black competence?’”

The resources here, whether you are newly entering an exploration of the research on anti-racist work in education or are deep into your journey, are curated to help you self-reflect, self-educate, and grow your skills as an anti-racist teacher. However, this work categorically should not rest solely on the shoulders of BIPOC teachers.