Critical Dialogue and Discussions of Race in the Public Administration Classroom

This article presents a counternarrative to traditional approaches to pedagogy in the public administration (PA) classroom. With the increasing diversity and complexity of American society, the field of PA must carefully navigate historical and contemporary issues fueling discourse and discontent. These issues include police violence, entrenched disparities, and institutional racism. The article posits that issues around race, racism, and oppression are salient concerns for current and future public administrators. As such, the shedding of traditional hegemonic approaches to pedagogy, so common in PA programs, is paramount to promoting social equity. Critical dialogue is presented as an important counternarrative to assist in broadening perspectives when engaging in difficult conversations.