Educating the Next Generation of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Professionals: Promoting Racial and Ethnic Understanding via Cultural Competence and Critical Race Theory

Abstract

In this article, Critical Race Theory (CRT) is employed as a pedagogical tool to help students understand themselves as well as the standards and virtues used in American society to judge others. A solid understanding of race, culture, and ethnicity and how these factors intersect is critical in the fields of emergency management, security studies and homeland security. Such an understanding will afford educators, students, and practitioners the opportunity to view and value the multiple strengths culture and racial background bring to the continued development of communities. In this article, we discuss how an understanding of ethnicity, culture, and race in recognizing one's own raciality can enhance a practitioner's education and experiences in the field prior to graduation, in one's career after graduation as well as for life-long learning. Specifically, the use of CRT in academic, training, and community-based settings via broad curricular modules, along with a Social Justice Ally (SJA) framework for purposeful action, will lead to a greater understanding of one's role in the community as an emergency manager, homeland security, or security professional. This article proposes techniques for addressing cultural diversity on the microlevel in the classroom or during training exercises. Arguably, programs and training exercises that couple CRT and a SJA perspective, will graduate/certify students with a more complete set of skills in order to enhance their effectiveness as policy makers, emergency management community-based practitioners, and homeland security and security professionals of the next generation.