ERIC Number: EJ1211744
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Apr
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1784
EISSN: N/A
A Necessary Conversation
Mayfield, Vernita
Educational Leadership, v76 n7 p79-83 Apr 2019
Mayfield poses a parable that sheds light on educators' reluctance to openly broach race-based inequalities in schools: A tale of a land whose "mountain" farmers for benefited from policies that plundered land, resources, and rights from the land's (struggling) "valley" farmers, but where farming conditions couldn't be openly talked about. As this tale implies, it's urgent for K-12 educators in the U.S., the author says, to talk deeply and openly about connections between racism, historical injustice, and disparities between educational outcomes of students of different races. Drawing on her experiences, Mayfield gives four suggestions for keeping tough discussions from derailing: Acknowledge that such talks make people vulnerabilities, examine "systemic" racism mainly, prepare participants to feel frustrated and worn out, and keep the focus on benefiting "students."
Descriptors: Racial Bias, Socialization, Racial Identification, Ethnicity, Educational Environment, Racial Attitudes, Administrator Attitudes, Teacher Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A