Page 276 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

250 microaggressive impact on education and teaching

Disturbingly, these overall findings indicate that White educators are no

more immune to having difficulties with racial dialogues than their White

students. In one study, it was found that even the most experienced teachers
were ill - prepared to productively and successfully facilitate racial discussions
and interactions (Sue, Torino, et al., 2009). It is important to note that both
students of color and White students were unanimous in attributing a success-
ful or failed facilitation to the cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills of the
teacher (Sue, Lin, et al., 2009; Sue, Rivera, et al., 2009).

The Way Forward

What Must Educators Do to Become Effective
Facilitators of Diffi cult Dialogues on Race?:
Overcoming Microaggressions

If the above conclusions are correct, then it bodes ill for race education
in the United States unless educators seriously explore their own biases
and prejudices, confront their own fears and apprehensions, and actively
develop the awareness, knowledge, and skills to successfully facilitate

difficult racial dialogues. A number of personal/professional developmental

issues and strategies have been identified as potentially helpful (Bell, 2003;
Bolgatz, 2005; Sue, Lin, et al., 2009; Sue, Rivera, et al., 2009; Sue, Torino, et al.,
2009; Watt, 2007; Willow, 2008; Winter, 1977; Young, 2004).

1. Possess a Working Defi nition and Understanding of Racial
Microaggressions and Diffi cult Dialogues
When critical consciousness and awareness of race issues, racial micro-
aggressions, and racial dialogues are absent, it leads to disorientation,

confusion, and bafflement that prevent problem definition and interven-

tion. Thus it is imperative that educators possess a working defi nition and
enlightened understanding of the cases, manifestation, and dynamics of
racial microaggressions and diffi cult dialogues on race. As we have already
spent considerable time on the former, I briefl y supply one on the latter.

Note, however, that the following definition of difficult dialogues is complex
and must be understood in terms of lived reality to have true meaning.

Broadly defi ned, difficult dialogues on race represent potentially threatening
conversations or interactions between members of different racial or ethnic
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