Breaking Down Barriers: Unveiling the Role of White Educators in Anti-Racist Work
Viv Grant FRSA
Leadership Keynote Speaker - Education, Race, Corporate Social Resonsibility. I inspire Purpose-driven Leaders to Dream Bigger Dreams (Even through adversity). CEO |Author| PhD Student. DM me to speak at your event.
Integrity Coaching's comprehensive report, "Creating a New Narrative: How White Headteachers and MAT CEOs Can Champion Anti-Racism," inspires this blog, which aims to provide white educators with practical insights and actionable strategies for challenging racism.
Why focus on White Headteachers and MAT CEOs?
In answer to this question, let me begin by sharing a personal reflection. As someone born and raised in the UK, the tragic death of George Floyd in May 2020 struck a deep chord within me. It magnified the pain and suffering that individuals like myself have endured due to the colour of our skin. Despite being born in the UK, I often felt a sense of not fully belonging or being accepted. George Floyd's death intensified these feelings and led to profound reflections on my own experiences of racism.
During the summer of 2020, I keenly observed a significant paradigm shift among white educators. Historically, efforts to address racism focused primarily on empowering the black community to address systemic inequalities. However, this time, white educators began to recognise that the responsibility for combating racism was shifting. The message became clear: to be effective allies in the fight against racism and demonstrate agency as anti-racist school leaders, white educators needed to engage in their own race and identity work.
Entering New Territory
This shift has thrust most white educators into unfamiliar territory. Understanding whiteness as a social construct and its impact on efficacy, agency, and personal and professional identities has not traditionally been a prerequisite in teacher training or advancement into senior leadership positions.
The Challenge
Through Integrity Coaching's Race, Identity, and School Leadership Programme, we have closely collaborated with white school leaders and identified a prevalent challenge: the difficulty in comprehending their own racialisation. The invisibility of whiteness as a determinant of their ability to actively engage in anti-racist strategies has hindered progress and created a gap between their professed values and actions.
To effect meaningful change, it is crucial to openly and honestly address white racialisation, what it is, how it hampers white agency in the field of anti-racism and, just as importantly, how it can be addressed. So that white school leaders can confidently be agents of change in this arena.
This blog aims to shed light on the concept of whiteness, the invisibility of whiteness, and its impact on white educators' agency. It explores some of the steps that white educators can take to overcome the invisibility of whiteness and develop as confident anti-racist practitioners.
Understanding Whiteness
When we talk about whiteness as a social construct, we refer to the systemic advantages and privileges white individuals experience in society. It is important to acknowledge that it is not a reference to individual white people. Folk can get themselves tied up in knots with this misunderstanding! Whiteness refers to the broader social and cultural context in which it operates. Whiteness encompasses the norms, values, and expectations that are often taken for granted and perpetuate systemic racism. This is why educators of all racial backgrounds must learn to critique and consider the structures, policies, and practices of the organisations in which we work.
Recommended by LinkedIn
The Invisibility of Whiteness
As mentioned above, whiteness is often considered the norm or the default, leading to its unquestioned acceptance and perpetuation. This invisibility poses a significant barrier to white educators' ability to recognise their racialisation and its impact on their role in anti-racist work. Without understanding and acknowledging whiteness, it becomes difficult to engage in challenging racism actively. There is a moral imperative here for over 80% of our school workforce to recognise this and to set themselves on the path towards being part of the change our world so desperately needs!
Limiting White Educators' Agency
The invisibility of whiteness limits white educators' agency in several ways. Firstly, it can lead to a lack of awareness of how their own racial identity impacts their perspectives and actions. This lack of understanding can perpetuate unintentional bias and contribute to systemic racism. Secondly, the invisibility of whiteness can result in a reluctance to engage in conversations about race, fearing discomfort or potential mistakes. This reluctance can hinder growth and prevent meaningful progress towards anti-racist practices. Lastly, the invisibility of whiteness may create a gap between white educators' professed values and their actions, undermining their credibility and effectiveness as advocates for racial justice.
Overcoming the Invisibility of Whiteness
Those who have already begun this journey will tell you that there will be times when you won’t be able to see the wood for the trees, times when the journey towards overcoming the invisibility of whiteness will feel intensely uncomfortable, but… most will tell you the pain and the struggle were worth it!
If you are seriously considering where to begin in your journey towards understanding white race socialisation, here are three initial steps that you can take:
These steps are just the beginning, but by embracing them and consciously addressing the invisibility of whiteness, white educators can become confident anti-racist practitioners.
Need some help furthering your reflections?
If you’d like to go further on your journey of reflection, we invite you to engage in our seven steps to becoming an effective anti-racist school leader self-assessment tool. This assessment will enable you to reflect on your current practices, identify areas for growth, and chart your progress as you work towards becoming an anti-racist leader in your school community.
By taking the self-assessment, you will gain valuable insights into your strengths and areas that require further attention. It will serve as a roadmap, guiding you towards meaningful actions and strategies for moving forward.
To access the self-assessment tool, click here. Upon completion, you will receive a personalised report summarising your results and providing recommendations for the next steps. Remember, this self-assessment is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process. Revisit it periodically to gauge your growth and reassess your efforts. Together, let's commit to being agents of transformation within our schools and communities.