Teaching about Race and Racism in the College Classroom: Notes from a White Professor

251 Pages·2019·7.7 MB·English

by  Cyndi Kernahan

TEACHING ABOUT RACE AND RACISM
IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM
TEACHING AND LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION
James M. Lang, Series Editor
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Who Want to Be Effective Teachers
Jessamyn Neuhaus
How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories
behind Effective College Teaching
Joshua R. Eyler
Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design
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Thomas J. Tobin and Kirsten T. Behling
Teaching the Literature Survey Course:
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The Spark of Learning:
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Sarah Rose Cavanagh
TEACHING
ABOUT RACE AND
RACISM
COLLEGE
in the
CLASSROOM
Notes from a White Professor
CYNDI KERNAHAN
West Virginia University Press • Morgantown 2019
Copyright © 2019 by West Virginia University Press
All rights reserved
First edition published 2019 by West Virginia University Press
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN
Cloth 978-1-949199-23-9
Paper 978-1-949199-24-6
Ebook 978-1-949199-25-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kernahan, Cyndi, author.
Title: Teaching about Race and Racism in the College Classroom : Notes
from a White Professor / Cyndi Kernahan.
Description: Morgantown : West Virginia University Press, 2019 | Series:
Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019024336 | ISBN 9781949199239 (cloth) | ISBN
9781949199246 (paperback) | ISBN 9781949199253 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: College teaching–Social aspects–United States. | Race–
Study and teaching–United States. | Racism–Study and teaching–
United States. | Race relations–Study and teaching–United States. |
Multicultural education–United States.
Classification: LCC LB2331 .K42 2019 | DDC 378.1/25–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019024336
Book and cover design by Than Saffel / WVU Press
Cover illustrations by ddok / Shutterstock
For Suzanne Kernahan and Jerry Kernahan. You were the first to
teach me that the world is not fair and the first to help me see my
own responsibility in that.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Why Is It So Hard? 1
1. Naïve Understandings: How We Differ
from Our Students 15
2. Struggling Students: How and Why
Resistance Happens 42
3. Getting Yourself Together: Developing
a Secure Teacher Identity 71
4. Belonging in the Classroom: Creating
Moments of Positivity and Connection 99
5. Expectations: From Ground Rules
to Growth Mindsets 130
6. Course Content:
Problems and Solutions 163
Conclusion and Summary of Ideas 196
Appendix: Suggested Reading
for Historical Understanding 203
References 211
Index 225

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AS A READER, I always like to read the acknowledgments. I
want to get a better picture of the author. A more filled-out
understanding of who they are and the people in their lives
that have helped them to do what they do. For me, just as for
most of us, that list is long, and I am sure I will forget and
omit important people. I also know that there are people
who have influenced me and assisted me in ways that I will
never recognize.
First and foremost, I have to thank my students. For 20
years at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, I have
been teaching about racism and prejudice. My students have
not only helped me learn how to teach, but they have also
helped me learn more about race as they have generously
shared their experiences and perspectives. I am grateful for
the job I am privileged to do.
There are many, many others at the University of
Wisconsin–River Falls that have helped me to write this
book. First and foremost, several members of my depart-
ment and the dean’s office including Jody Sather, Kelly
Duff-Bowers, and Donna Thompson. Todd Wilkinson and
Melanie Ayres were kind enough to ask me about my writing
and to talk with me about teaching on a regular basis. They
are wonderful colleagues and friends. I am also especially
ix