Challenging color-evasion in democratic dialogue: using critical race discourse analysis to generate practical theory for facilitators*

Guided by Critical Race Discourse Analysis and Grounded Practical Theory this paper analyzes interaction during classroom dialogs to examine how democratic inclusion is undermined by color-evasion. Too often color-evasion as a discursive technique perpetuates exclusion, inhibits democratic values under the guise of inclusion, and consequently, protects whiteness and puts undue burden on non-white participants. Thus, we argue that democratic facilitators who are concerned with inclusion should listen for and disrupt color-evasiveness. We offer a practical theory to guide facilitators recognizing and challenging color-evasion through questions that encourage the group to contend with why evading talk about race undermines democratic dialogue.