COD Library: Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression: Teaching Resources

"There are two ways to teach about race - badly, or not at all."

-- Lucia Pawloski (as quoted in Brookfield, 2018, p. 15)

Teaching Race

Brookfield, Stephen. 2019. Teaching Race: How to Help Students Unmask and Challenge Racism. CA: Jossey-Bass. https://cod.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1035317423

The need to educate students about race and racism is felt acutely across higher education. Yet, in those colleges and universities that are predominantly White little exists in the way of practical guidance on how to go about this task. This book addresses some of the most common questions that teachers raise about how to teach students racial awareness at predominantly White institutions. This book will focus on practical tips, tools and techniques that teachers can use in their own teaching. Faculty members from across the disciplines say they are hungry for ideas on how to implement anti-racist education in their classrooms.

Kernahan, Cyndi. 2019. Teaching About Race and Racism in the College Classroom: Notes from a White Professor. Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. West Virginia University Press.

In this book, Cyndi Kernahan argues that you can be honest and unflinching in your teaching about racism while also providing a compassionate learning environment that allows for mistakes and avoids shaming students. She also differentiates between how White students and students of color are likely to experience the classroom, helping instructors provide a more effective learning experience for all students.

Kernahan, Cyndi, and Nancy L. Chick. 2017. “How Do You Listen to Your Students to Help Them Learn about Race and Racism?” New Directions for Teaching & Learning 2017 (151): 17–30. https://doi:10.1002/tl.20246

Teaching and learning can be especially difficult when the content includes race. We argue here that an effective approach is one that includes multiple angles, learning from our students and from a broad range of colleagues and disciplines.

Thurber, Amie, Harbin, M.Brielle., & Bandy, Joe. (2019). "Teaching Race: Pedagogy and Practice". Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-race

Social justice education has implications for what we teach (curriculum) and how we teach (pedagogy). Despite an increasing number of instructors bringing a critical analysis of racial in/justice to their curriculum, many report challenges in teaching this content effectively. To begin to address this need, this guide summarizes some of the common challenges instructors may encounter and offers five broad pedagogical principles for teaching racial justice, and three possible strategies for implementing each strategy in the classroom.

Critical Practices for Anti-bias Education

Teaching Tolerance
This critical practices guide offers practical strategies for creating a space where academic and social-emotional goals are accomplished side by side. It also provides valuable advice for implementing culturally responsive pedagogy and describes how teachers can bring anti-bias values to life by

building and drawing on intergroup awareness, understanding and skills;
creating classroom environments that reflect diversity, equity and justice;
engaging families and communities in ways that are meaningful and culturally competent;
encouraging students to speak out against bias and injustice;
including anti-bias curricula as part of larger individual, school and community action;
supporting students’ identities and making it safe for them to fully be themselves; and
using instructional strategies that support diverse learning styles and allow for deep exploration of anti-bias themes.

How to Make Your Teaching More Inclusive

Chronicle of Higher Education
Traditional teaching methods do not serve all students well. This guide is for any faculty member who believes, as we do, that education can be an equalizer. We share tips here that any instructor can use to minimize inequities and help more students succeed. We’re not suggesting a complete redesign of your courses, but more of an overlay to your current teaching practices.