“Being colorblind is one of the worst things”: White teachers’ attitudes and ethnic‐racial socialization in a rural elementary school

Abstract

A phenomenological approach was used to explore White elementary school teachers' attitudes about and strategies for addressing ethnicity and race in their classrooms. Semistructured interviews were conducted with teachers (N = 12) in first, third, and fifth grade, art, and English language learning classrooms at a racially diverse, rural elementary school in the Midwest United States. Results highlighted a paradox in teachers' attitudes and socialization. Teachers reported an appreciation for the school-level ethnicracial diversity, while simultaneously endorsing a colorblind ideology. They incorporated conversations about ethnicity and race, but more frequently in reaction to holidays and student-initiated questions and not as part of a more integrative curriculum. Additionally, teachers' attitudes and discussions about ethnicity and race intersected with religion. Findings highlight the need for professional development to support White teachers in examining their attitudes about ethnicity, race, and religion to move away from colorblindness and engage in anti-bias and anti-racist education.

Unpacking school ethnic‐racial socialization: A new conceptual model

“…They can also implicitly socialize, for example, by avoiding conversations about race or by only focusing on racism as a historical artifact (e.g., Byrd & Hope, 2020). In fact, research suggests that most schools take a color‐evasive approach (e.g., avoiding racial topics and discussions) (Hazelbaker & Mistry, in press; Schofield, 2006; Walton, et al., 2014). Beyond teachers, there are many staff (e.g., principals, counselors, school aids, resource officers) who have differential access to youth yet still convey ERS and have the opportunity to foster a harmful or supportive racial climate.…”

“…Several studies show that teachers report receiving little to no training or feel unequip to address racial topics within the classroom (Young, 2003). In fact, recent research suggests that many schools and teachers choose to take a color‐evasive approach to race relations (Schofield, 2006; Hazelbaker & Mistry, in press). Additionally, teachers report several barriers to having conversations about race, including discomfort, burnout, and uncertainty about how parents will perceive their messages about race.…”

Through the looking glass: Ethnic racial socialization among children and adolescents

“…In the next article, Hazelbaker and Mistry (2021) employ a phenomenological approach to examine White school teachers’ attitudes, beliefs, and strategies for addressing racial and ethnic issues with their students at a racially and ethnically diverse rural elementary (K – 6) public school. Results suggest that there is a paradox in white teachers’ attitudes and socialization about race.…”

Ethnic‐racial socialization in the context of the achievement gap discourse

“…Similarly, color-blind messages can limit students' ability to think critically about ethnicity, race and racism and hinder their preparation for bias (Aldana & Byrd, 2015). White teachers are particularly likely to emphasize color-blind messages in relation to their students (e.g., Hazelbaker & Mistry, 2021). Notably, the 2021 right-wing backlash against and censorship of critical race theory illuminates how the act of making visible society's racial hierarchies are perceived as a threat to the whitestream mode of education.…”