The pursuit of racial equity in public education has a long history in the United States. Inequities persist across all content areas, but are particularly entrenched in STEM subjects. The Detroit Public Schools Community District's Office of Science, where the authors serve as executive director and training and support coordinator, is striving to change that. They aim to address some of the root causes of racial disparities endemic to science classrooms and across the curricular spectrum by focusing teacher professional learning on instructional practices that engage students. Specifically, focusing teacher professional learning on student talk in science classes and whether students of all backgrounds contribute to discussions. Before addressing the specific interconnections among science talk, equity, and instructional practice, the authors provide a brief overview of the research on student talk and then connect it to the core mission of racial equity in science instruction.