Table Of ContentRacial Discourse in Predominantly White Classrooms:
A Phenomenological Study of Teachers’ Lived Experiences Discussing Race
A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
BY
Mary Elizabeth Lee-Nichols
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Timothy J. Lensmire
September 2012
© Mary Elizabeth Lee-Nichols 2011
Acknowledgements
First, tremendous gratitude to my advisor Tim Lensmire - your powerful teaching
remains an inspiration. I will always read and respond generously thanks to you. I am
ever so grateful to my committee, Cynthia Lewis, Mark Vagle, Misti Sato, Bic Ngo, and
Tim - aka the Dream Team, for your wisdom, encouragement, and support. Jessie
Eastman deserves an award for helping me navigate graduate school in such a calm and
reassuring way. A special thank you to Peggy DeLapp, who gave me amazing
opportunities to teach and learn as a graduate instructor. I would also like to acknowledge
the University of Minnesota Department of Curriculum & Instruction for providing
financial support throughout. Thank you to Lee Galda for encouraging me from the very
beginning.
Endless thanks for unending support to Karen Goff, Barbara Miller, April
Wallace, Julie Neuman, Tamyla Anderson, Amy Klein, and Cheryl Cermin – our
sisterhood gave me great strength.
My fellow scholars, Audrey Appelsies, Zachary Casey, Bryan Davis, Jessie
Dockter, Tim Lensmire, and Shannon McManimon, that make up the Midwest Critical
Whiteness Collective – in my heart I think of MCWC as synecdoche for the retheorizing
of whiteness necessary to move toward more powerful and effective anti-racist, anti-
oppressive education.
I wish I could say thank you in person to my parents, John and Dorothy Lee, who
passed away during my study. Thanks Dad, for your endless love and encouragement,
and for giving me this crazy idea that I could do anything I believed in. You taught me
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that whatever one chooses to do in life, one has a responsibility to work hard – that any
school, workplace, or organization should always be left a better place because of your
contributions to it. He left this world a better place. Thanks Mom, for being one of the
greatest educators ever, who taught me firsthand that to be a great teacher you must
believe that all students can be successful, and who modeled the passion and hard work
that is required of teaching. Also, to my uncle, James Ray, who was gifted with a passion
for research and writing – thank you for channeling that when I needed it! I miss you all
so much and felt your support and pride as I finished.
To my husband Bob, who created a quiet and thoughtful space, both on our lake
and in his heart, for me to learn, read, and write… and for starting the rip-roaring fires all
those cold and snowy days so that I could do just that – thank you for providing warmth
that radiated right into my very soul. Sam and Josie, you mean the world to me – thank
you for providing constant inspiration and great joy, and for being a wonderful
divertissement (look it up!) whenever I needed a break from writing.
Finally, to the teachers who shared their experiences in the classroom with me,
Al, Ben, Deigo, Eleanor, June, Lauren, Lucy, Ruth, Ryan, and Sylvia. Always teaching,
always learning. I have learned so much from you. Thank you for allowing me share your
experiences with others. I know how precious your time is and I appreciate your
willingness and courage to talk – thank you for trusting me to learn from your stories.
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Dedication
To Bob, Sam, and Josie
iii
Abstract
This dissertation examines the lived experiences of white middle school teachers
in predominantly white rural communities as they discuss race and race issues with
students. Using methods of descriptive phenomenology, interviews were conducted with
teachers to explore what it was like for them to talk about race in classrooms comprised
of only white students, and when classes included one or two students of color. The
essence of the experience was determined through phenomenological analysis, making
meaning of how teachers’ experienced dialogue focused on race.
Findings reveal six themes illuminating how teachers’ experienced talking about
race and issues of race with students, whether the discussions were intentional or
unplanned. Their experiences were characterized by fear and discomfort, uncertainty,
anger, frustration, experience, and paralysis. Teachers experienced fear and discomfort as
race became central to the discussion, especially concerned about how racial discourse
would negatively impact the one or two students of color in the classroom. Uncertainty
surfaced as teachers struggled with issues of colorblindness, “politically correct”
language, and the possibility of reinforcing white supremacy. Anger and frustration
emerged as teachers found they were unprepared and lacking experience in facilitating
lessons and discussions surrounding race. However, experience acquired through
exposure to aspects diversity in college, or years of integrating social justice issues into
lessons, made teachers more likely to have discussions of race with students. Finally, as a
result of the negative feelings they associated with discussions of race, some teachers
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experienced a sense of paralysis as they considered eliminating lessons in which issues of
race might surface.
This study contributes to an understanding of the experiences of white teachers as
participants’ in a racial society within a predominantly white rural setting. Implications of
the study suggest a need for teacher preparation programs to address race and racism
more directly through curriculum and practice. This will significantly impact how white
students and students of color make meaning of race in predominantly white
communities.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements i
Dedication iii
Abstract iv
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables vii
Introduction 1
1. Review of the Literature 10
2. Methodology 36
3. Silence, Fear, and Discomfort 63
4. Race and Uncertainty in Rural America 101
Conclusion 129
References 140
Appendices
A. Interview Cover Letter 153
B. Consent Form 154
C. Response Card 156
D. Racist Images in Rural America 157
E. Racist Memorabilia in Rural America 158
vi
List of Tables
Table 1 Themes and Units of Meaning 73
Table 2 Themes Defined 74
vii
Introduction
Throughout my first year of teaching, I would marvel at the interactions of my
eighth grade students while at recess, the boys either shooting baskets into a hoop with a
net made of metal chain, or practicing break dance moves, moonwalking across the
blocked off streets where they played. But the girls especially, the jump-rope rhymes I’d
never heard before, complex and elaborate hand-clapping games, and the way they would
simultaneously giggle while hurling insults at one another, both individuals and the entire
group doubling over in laughter. While endlessly fascinating, this insult game would
invariably result in me asking that they try instead to be more complimentary to each
other. This would spark new giggles, but the taunts would end for the day. Once, after
such an exchange, a student pointed out the obvious to me, giggling, “Ms. Lee, you is so
white!” “Keshia,” I replied, ignoring her cheekiness, but correcting her grammar for the
seemingly millionth time, “It’s are, you are so white.” Our conversations would
predictably end with Keshia grinning, “Ooooh snap! Ms. Lee, that was a good one!”
That was in New York City. It would be at least twenty years later before I would
really understand the meaning of this dialogue with Keshia and the rest of my students.
Born in Nebraska, my middle and high school years were lived in a suburb of Denver,
Colorado, one of my brothers referred to as “Lily-White Littleton.” At that time, all I
knew about being white was that I wasn’t black, and all I really knew about not being
black was that we were all created equal, so the color of your skin didn’t matter. From
history classes, I understood slavery and racism as terrible things in our nation’s past, but
th
that wrongs can be made right and we, as a country, were better now because the 13
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