There was a time, not too long ago, when talking openly about race was considered in poor taste. If you had good manners, you just didn’t talk about politics, religion, or race—not with your family or friends, and certainly not with your coworkers. Even now, many people feel the topic of race is better left alone. What if we say something that’s misunderstood? What if we’re labeled a racist?
Professor Anita Foeman understands those worries. In How to Talk about Race, she addresses those specific concerns and others, giving common-sense guidance and step-by-step instructions you can employ to develop safe and productive dialogue about race. Having spent her professional life researching, teaching, writing, and facilitating conversations about race, Dr. Foeman believes the ability to engage in a productive dialogue is an important start—even if we can’t solve every problem.
It’s impossible to understand race and culture in the United States without listening to individuals tell their unique stories. In this course, you’ll meet many fascinating people who have agreed to share their stories. As you get to know them, you might realize that your assumptions about their lives—if you had made those assumptions based only on their race—would have been far afield from their actual lived experiences. As you learn to better listen and dialogue about race, most likely, you’ll never see racial issues the same way again.
