Title: Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism
Headings: Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism
Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism
1. Set Up a Safe and Respectful Classroom Environment.
2. Consider the Racial Composition of Your Classroom.
3. Define Terms.
4. Connect the Past to the Present.
5. Understand Perspective.
6. Think Critically About the Media.
7. Talk About Structural Racism and White Privilege.
8. Encourage Empathy.
9. Inspire Hope and Activism.

Content: Compassion and empathy go a long way in helping students understand race and racism. Provide opportunities for students to hear the thoughts and feelings of people most impacted by racism through in-person conversations, interviews, narratives, videos, photos and recordings. Have students reflect on these experiences and focus especially on the feelings of others. In this way, you help students be sensitive to what people are going through in these situations, which promotes empathy. Allow and help students express their range of emotions (anger, rage, frustration, sadness, hopelessness) about what’s happening as well as listen with compassion to the feelings of others. 9. Inspire Hope and Activism. When we uncover bias, discrimination and injustice with students, it’s important we don’t leave them with overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and despair. It can easily happen when you consider the monumental task of making the world more equitable and just. At the same time, we don’t want to fill their heads with false or empty hope.