How to Have a Useful Conversation about Race (for White Folk)
Film Eight of the Restorative Practices Film Series
The Space Between Us (25 minutes)
In our first film about race, primarily for white folk, we examine why most white people in the United States have such a difficult time talking about race, and how we need to change our lens in order to have conversations in this area that are useful for our own development and not harmful to people of color. We begin to explore the creation of Whiteness, notions of sociological whiteness, and deepen our understanding of our own social location, and an awareness of 'where we are perceiving from'.
Learning Objectives
- White participants understand why we (as white folk) are generally unable to talk about race in ways that are useful
- Participants understand the importance of noticing 'where we are perceiving from'
Take-Aways:
- White participatns gain greater resilience in talking about race in a multi-cultural context
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION
- When did you first realize you were white? How did sociological whiteness get shaped in your life growing up? What implicit and explicit cues did you pick up about whiteness and race as you were socialized?