Non-Racist White Identity Formation: Teaching Anti-Racism in the Homogeneous Classroom Rachel Byrd-Felker, Christopher Olson, Lindsey Boland & Natasha Gurevich

What is Racial Identity? The inclination to identify (or not identify) with the racial group to which we are assumed to belong. Reflection of how we see ourselves Reflection of how we perceive “like” group members Reflection of how we see those who are different (Marshall, 2002)

White Racial Identity Formation vs White Racial Identity Formation vs. Identity Formation in Other Ethnic Groups “Because whiteness is perceived as ‘ordinary’ many teachers are disinclined to think about racial identity of White youth” Lack of awareness of the racial self among Whites contrasts sharply with people of color who are much more consistently aware of racial identity Teacher understanding that White racial identities are likely to manifest differently than many students of color. (Marshall, 2002)

White Racial Identity Statuses Helms (1993) suggests two major phases of White identity development, Abandonment of Racism & Defining a Nonracist White Identity. Each phase is broken down into three “racial identity statuses”. (Marshall, 2002) Phase I: Abandonment of Racism Phase II: Defining a Nonracist White Identity Contact Disintegration Reintegration Pseudo independence Immersion/Emersion Autonomy

Phase I: Abandonment of Racism Marshall, 2002 Contact: White individuals who have never confronted realities of the hierarchy of racial classifications in society experience a real or vicarious contact with “racial others”. Little awareness that race is of consequence in their life/lives of others. Disintegration: Misconceptions of the “Contact Identity” collapse as individual interacts with “racial others”. Those who develop positive relationships with racial others are more likely to to advance to the stages of Defining a Nonracist White Identity Reintegration: Recognize/accept the hierarchal structure of racial classifications in society. Individuals may or may not move past this stage.

Phase II: Defining a Non-Racist White Identity Marshall, 2002 Pseudo independence: Individual embraces the ideals of equality, rejects overt expressions of racism on an intellectual level, but does not challenge covert manifestations of racism. Immersion/Emersion: Does not tolerate covert forms of racism, reject reality of white-skin privilege on moral grounds. Wishes to immerse self in interactions with others who have acquired similar identity status, and emerges with an understanding of what it means to be White in our society, and desire to take action. Autonomy: Social action/orientation, taking action to eliminate racism/other forms of oppression.

Challenges of Educating White Youths for Diversity Collective cultural sensitivity to discussion of racial issues. Status of teacher racial identity Normative positionality of “whiteness” in schools precludes educators from recognizing White students as racial beings Assumption that White youths are unaffected/oblivious to growing cultural diversity Assumption that White youths are neutral/positive about contacts with racial others, are being educated about diversity.

Provide Opportunities What Can Teachers Do? Recognize The harmful effects of self-segregation on racial identity formation Provide Opportunities For White students to analyze nature of equality in larger society Educate Students to recognize themselves as racial beings through curriculum

Questioning the Autonomy Phase De Frietas & McAuley (2008) warn against accepting the Autonomy phase of White racial development as an end point Goal of identity development not to erase discomfort, but embrace discomfort as part of the “emotional labor” of confronting ones own privilege. Ongoing process of living with ambiguity and lack of closure in racial identity development. Being uncomfortable is part of the process, not necessarily something to be resolved.

Helping Whites Develop Anti-Racist Identities: Overcoming Their Resistance to Fighting Racism Whites in all-White communities White privilege “Any means of insulation allowing Whites to express awareness, but that also keeps Whites from having to act on that awareness.” “Racism insulation” Guilty Expressions = Active Anti-Racism Cognitive Understanding w/out Emotional Understanding No desire or expressed need for personal change, but desire for global change.

Common Manifestations of White Privilege  Resistance to fighting racism THEME SONGS “My privilege has nothing to do with racism.” “Racism is over!” “One person can’t change racism, so why try?” “I feel really guilty, I can’t handle this.” “We don’t belong in diversity work, because we aren’t diverse!”

Implications for Education, Pt. I – Needs for Change First: conceptual understanding of racism Confront & Challenge paternalistic role Pain is universal, not based on color Build emotional connections to racism: How does racism affect the individual? Have I experienced/witnessed oppression? How has racism affected the individual’s family? Grandparents? Great-Grandparents? Positive interactions with people of color

EXPECT INSECURITIES AND RESISTANCE!

Implications for Education Part II-Anti-Racist Groups A.W.A.R.E. – Association for White Anti-Racist Education Goal: Proactive Anti-Racist members of society! “White on White” dialogue, racism readings, professional speakers, introspective journaling Positive collective identity Pride VS. Shame “If you don’t know pride, in your gut, then our pride will always threaten you. It will always feel as though people of color are something because you are nothing, that we are colorful because you are bland, and that anything we gain is at your expense” (Rose, 1996). Cross-cultural dialogues (e.g. Young Men of Color, Young Women of Color)

Previous Research & Hypothesis Strong cultural norm to reject racism in public Studies have shown children do hold intergroup bias, but most racism is indirect rather than blatant Hypothesis: Younger children will show blatant racism while slightly older children will uphold cultural norm when under social pressure

Two-part Study In both studies, 2 groups of white children were asked to allocate 9 coins to 2 boxes, each labeled with a picture of a child - 1 white, 1 black In both studies: One group aged 6-7, one group aged 8-9 First study – experimenter present vs. not Asked afterward to justify allocation Second study – norm manipulation presented Asked afterward to agree/disagree with statements

Findings Study 1: Experimenter present/absent Younger group showed in-group bias whether or not experimenter was present Older group showed in-group bias only when experimenter was absent Children justified allocation in 1 of 3 ways: Merit Similarities Differences

Findings, cont. Study 2: Norm Manipulation Norm manipulation did not affect younger group – showed intergroup bias either way Norm manipulation did affect older group – didn’t show intergroup bias when manipulation was anti-racist, but did when manipulation was racist Older kids agreed with racist check questions less than younger kids in both types of manipulation

Unable to Reject Hypothesis Experimenter or manipulation enough to push children into cultural norm of not showing blatant racism Justified allocation based on similarities or differences, but not often on merit Active & stable norms = intergroup distinctiveness and in-group favoring

Implications Even if it's not visible, racial bias exists Classrooms cannot be colorblind Importance of acknowledging race, as well as incorporating learning activities that promote racial acceptance

The Case for Anti-Racist Activities in the Early Childhood Classroom Racism & Children The Case for Anti-Racist Activities in the Early Childhood Classroom

What is Racism? Institutional or structural racism: “a system of social structures that produces cumulative, race-based inequalities” (Adams et al., 2007) Individual racism: “the result of one person’s attitudes and actions that reflect prejudice and ignorance against people of color” (Adams et al., 2007)

Facts about Racism Both institutional and individual racism can be intentional or unintentional Either can be damaging to people of color and to Whites (Derman-Sparks and Ramsey 2006) Racism and other forms of oppression are always operating in every social setting (DiAngelo and Sensoy, 2010)

Why are Discussions about Race Avoided in Early Childhood Classrooms? In the field of early childhood education, social justice issues like racism are often perceived as irrelevant (Robinson and Diaz, 2009) Many educators see racism as too advanced for young “innocent” children to grasp Many fail to understand their own relationship to race Some buy into the rhetoric of valuing everyone equally, and profess to be “colorblind” Unfamiliar with knowledge base and available resources

Making Sense of Race In a 2001 study, researchers spent a year observing 3 and 4 year olds in a multiracial preschool Examined how children make sense of race through everyday experiences Identified four facets of racial and ethnic relations that contributed to children’s “racializing process”: Concepts and Thinking Spoken Discourse Identities Everyday experiences and performances that restrict or give privilege (Van Ausdale and Feagin, 2001)

Children & Race Research shows that children are neither naïve nor colorblind (Earick 2008) Young children discriminate on the basis of race (Boutte 2008; Derman-Sparks 2008; Tenorio 2009) Children often use racial reasons for refusing to interact with others who are different than themselves (Derman-Sparks 2008; Tenorio 2007) Racial relationships are important aspects of their social worlds (Earick 2008)

Children, Race & Society Young children have a sophisticated understanding of issues of race and power. (Boutte 2008; Delpit 2007; Earick 2008; Tenorio 2007) Kids constantly receive covert and overt messages about race. (Boutte 2008; Derman-Sparks 2008) As a result, homes, communities, schools, and society are not neutral spaces Children quickly learn the racial identities and roles played out around them, and reproduce them

Why Discuss Race in Early Childhood? Children begin to classify at an early age. “If young children are not provided with opportunities to begin formulating and questioning their initial understandings [of race], it is likely that they will develop the rudiments of racism” (Boutte 2008; Derman-Sparks 2008; Earick 2008). Colorblind teachers cannot interrupt or counter racism, because they are ignoring racial differences. “Silence on racial issues sends a strong message to children that it is taboo to discuss these issues in school” (Boutte et al. 1993). Many children experience racism and racial hostility in their everyday lives.

Social Justice Aspects There is no way to avoid discussing issues of power and privilege when addressing racism. “As teachers, we are cultural workers [...] If teachers don’t question the culture and values being promoted in the classroom, they socialize their students to accept the uneven power relations of our society along lines of race, class, gender, and ability” (Segura-Mora 2008). Discussing race and other social justice issues in the classroom helps promote perspective-taking, community, and an understanding of differentiation in young children.

Application in the Classroom Second-grade teacher used weekly literature discussions to address race in her classroom. Her classroom was bilingual, located in the Southwestern US, and consisting of 15 children, many of whom were first generation Mexican-Americans. Used both fiction and non-fiction, Spanish and English texts. Children were expected to think about and question the issues raised in the reading (Muspratt et al. 1997) Discussions focused on social issues such as racism, illiteracy, poverty and immigration – familiar issues for many of the students

Student Responses In class, children drew and wrote responses to the reading, and discussed them with their peers. When asked to define racism, kids suggested things like… “hurting other people”“people that want Mexicans to leave”“when Black, Brown, and White don’t like each other and fight because [of] the color of their skin […] White people thought they were cool because they always got the cool stuff and Black and [Brown] didn’t”

Implications These definitions support the theory that children are not colorblind The children in this case-study can associate their own experiences with the concept of racism They can also associate racism with power and privilege

Call to Action Teachers can reinforce institutional racism unintentionally. Silence is not the answer. Children are capable of handling the topic of racism. The classroom may be the only place to interrupt racism in homogeneous communities. Discussing racism and other social justice issues can promote positive behaviors in children

References. Boutte, G.S., Lopez-Robertson, J., & Powers-Costello, E. (2011). Moving beyond colorblindness in early childhood classrooms. Early Childhood Education, 39(1), 335-342 De Freitas, E., & McAuley, A. (2008). Teaching for diversity by troubling whiteness: Strategies for classrooms in isolated white communities. Race Ethnicity and Education, 11(4), 429-442.   De Franca, D.X., Monteiro, M.B., & Rodriguez, R. (2009). The development of intergroup bias in childhood: How social norms can shape children’s racial behaviours. International Journal of Psychology, 44(1), 29-39. Denevi, E., & Pastan, N. (2006). Helping whites develop anti-racist identities: Overcoming their resistance to fighting racism. Multicultural Education, 221-232. Marshal, P.L. (2002). Racial identity and challenges of educating white youths for cultural diversity. Multicultural Perspectives, 4(3), 9-14.

Power, Race & Privilege in Your Life: Reflect on a time when you have been the recipient of an unearned privilege in your life due to the color of your skin. Take a moment to write about this experience in any way you wish. Some ideas to consider… What was the experience? What was it like for you? Were you aware of it at the time? What feelings do you have now about the incident? What is it like reflecting/writing about this type of experience/incident?

Reflecting on Media Artifacts: Examine the displayed media artifacts. Take a moment to watch a bit of the video clips, listen to the songs, examine the objects, etc. Ask yourself, “If I were a White youth with no contact/experience with people of other racial backgrounds, how might these media images influence my perceptions of racial others? What assumptions might I make?” As a small group, discuss what perceptions and assumptions these media messages may cause.