Talking Race in Teacher Education: The Need for Racial Dialogue in Teacher Education Programs

U.S. schools continue to experience increased racial diversity in student population. In response to changing school demographics, various forms of multicultural education have emerged to help incorporate the history and culture of non-mainstream groups into the school curriculum. Among the glaring absences from the discussion of diversity has been the salience of race. Race, as a social construct, continues to be one of the most divisive constructs in our schools and society. In this article, the authors discuss the need for helping preservice teachers acquire the knowledge and skills to effectively initiate and facilitate dialogue about race and race-related issues in their classrooms. The authors discuss why the need for race-related dialogue is necessary, barriers that prevent constructive dialogue from occurring, and design principles that teacher education programs can incorporate to help teachers become effective educators in a multicultural society.