Featured Video: Racism in America
Our first video in the series outlines the complex issues associated with race-related stress and fosters group discussions that promote critical thinking, increase empathy, and encourage social perspective-taking. This video helps you structure effective group discussions and models ways to keep difficult dialogues about race and prejudice productive.
Facilitating Difficult Dialogues
Discussing issues of race can be challenging for everyone involved, especially when participants represent multiple racial groups. Given the pervasive and often personal nature of racism and race, emotions can become an active part of the dynamic, and impartial, objective conversation may be elusive.
We will give you the tools to facilitate race-related dialogue that remains meaningful and productive, even if emotionally charged. The aim is to help you create an open environment that keeps participants engaged in the exchange of ideas. For the facilitator of a difficult dialogue, inaction is the least effective course.
I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.
Elicit feelings of tension, anxiety, awkwardness, fear or guilt.
Highlight major differences in worldview.
Open/expose participants to public challenge.
Put participants at risk for disclosing intimate biased thoughts, beliefs or feelings.
Impediments to successful race-related dialogues include:
- Group dynamics (e.g., microaggressions, defensiveness or fear of recognizing one’s own privilege, power differentials between racial groups).
- Facilitator-related impediments (e.g., lack of self-awareness, lack of preparedness for emotionally charged dialogue, sense of inadequacy).
- Social norms that prevent open dialogue (e.g., politeness protocol, academic protocol, color-blind protocol).
The Discussion Guide
In this guide, you will find:
- A summary of relevant concepts featured in the video.
- Strategies and tips for facilitating the discussion.
- Sample discussion questions.
- A glossary of terms.
- Relevant references and resources.
Upcoming Videos
Stay tuned for videos in the months ahead on the following topics:
- Race and community-police interactions.
- Microaggressions.
- Impact of race-related stress on children.
To be notified every time a new video is released, email APA's Ethnicity, Race, and Cultural Affairs Portfolio (ERCA) to be added to our mailing list.
