White or IPOC Educators Working with Predominantly White Students

In an interview, author Layla Saad discusses white privilege and systems of white supremacy, explaining that, “This isn't about generalizing or stereotyping white people as being somehow deficient or defunct. This is about seeing how you were born into a system that automatically gave you these powers and these privileges….As you begin to switch on the light and see how this plays out within you, you begin to change your behaviors and you begin to influence the people around you. Systems are maintained by people. But systems can also be changed by people.”

Nahliah Webber, executive director of the New Orleans Public Education Network, explains the need to change these systems in clear terms, writing, “Conservatives, liberals and progressives alike grow their careers and feed their families off of myths about Black deficiency. If you let them tell it, Black kids are in terrible shape while White children are doing gloriously. But how can White kids be doing okay when they’re growing up to be police officers, district attorneys, mayors, judges, media, mothers, fathers and presidents who take away Black life and call it justified?“

There is enormous power for anti-racist change in classrooms made up of mostly, if not all, white students. Even though, “Conversations about race can feel personally irrelevant, and therefore obligatory and rote. And teachers may feel stymied, worried about finding the right words”it is imperative that ““We have to start asking kids, ‘How do you hold true to what you have experienced while holding what other people have experienced as truth as well?’” notes Kathryn Short.

Identifying bias and learning more about racism in education is essential to building the skills and cultural contexts to promote critical thinking, deepen empathy, and guide students and colleagues alike to say something when they recognize racist policies, practices, or interactions in their classrooms and buildings. The resources here, whether you are newly entering 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.