Racial Dialogue Research Articles

Building bridges and improving racial harmony: An evaluation of thebridges across racial polarization program®

Summary Racial polarization is endemic in American society. It reduces the quality of life in our communities. Numerous solutions have been proposed for redressing racism, including racial dialogues. These programs are predicated on the contact hypothesis, i.e., through equal status contact, prejudice will be reduced. The question is whether the contact hypothesis as implemented through a racial dialogue program holds and racial networks can be improved among program participants. Through a combination of forced choice and open‐ended questions, 72 participants were surveyed to evaluate the impact and success of the Bridges Across Racial Polarization Program®. All individuals changed racial networks. The key to program success was the group dynamic. Positive group dynamics developed through positive interpersonal connections, frequent interactions and varied activities. Racial networks and interracial interactions can be enhanced through dialogue‐type programs, thereby supporting the contact hypothesis.

More Than Just Talk: The Use of Racial Dialogues to Combat Racism

ABSTRACT This article describes the use of structured, public conversations about race and racism, known as racial dialogues, as a means of responding to racism. The importance of understanding racial identity development and the dynamics of intergroup conflict when conducting racial dialogues is considered. Different models of racial dialogues are reviewed. The authors sponsored a racial dialogue at a school of social work that was tape-recorded and transcribed. Participants completed questionnaires. An analysis of the dialogue is presented and recommendations about the future use of racial dialogues are offered.

Talking Race in Teacher Education: The Need for Racial Dialogue in Teacher Education Programs

U.S. schools continue to experience increased racial diversity in student population. In response to changing school demographics, various forms of multicultural education have emerged to help incorporate the history and culture of non-mainstream groups into the school curriculum. Among the glaring absences from the discussion of diversity has been the salience of race. Race, as a social construct, continues to be one of the most divisive constructs in our schools and society. In this article, the authors discuss the need for helping preservice teachers acquire the knowledge and skills to effectively initiate and facilitate dialogue about race and race-related issues in their classrooms. The authors discuss why the need for race-related dialogue is necessary, barriers that prevent constructive dialogue from occurring, and design principles that teacher education programs can incorporate to help teachers become effective educators in a multicultural society.

Brown and the politics of equality

Forty years afterBrown v. Topeka Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision declaring de jure segregated schools unconstitutional, we are still seeking the full implementation of that decree. Most Americans accepted limited implementation ofBrown, and the degree of acceptance is split along racial lines. Racial dialogue has changed. White Americans, who control the desegregation process, develop integration plans to their advantage. School integration was not implemented until after passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and peaked in 1972. Today, school integration is declining due to a backlash, changing demographics, and declining resources. However,Brown was a success because it rid the country of legalized state segregation by race in education and in other areas of public policy. The Court could merge the equality standards ofPlessy v. Ferguson and the integration standards ofBrown to give us quality integrated education.

Race Factor in the US Presidential Politics: Elevating the Dialogue

This article argues that although the US has made significant gains in race relations, race still plays a major if not decisive role in who is elected president. Examining how the major candidates in the 1992 presidential election manipulated and exploited race and race-based issues to gain or not to lose votes, the paper posits that race relations and concomitant problems could improve if the racial dialogue is elevated to a new politically palatable discourse.