Letting Go of Literary Whiteness: Antiracist Literature Instruction for White Students

Language and Literacy

by Carlin Borsheim-Black, Sophia Tatiana Sarigianides, Timothy J. Lensmire (Foreword)

Rooted in examples from their own and others' classrooms, the authors offer discipline-specific practices for implementing antiracist literature instruction in White-dominant schools. Each chapter explores a key dimension of antiracist literature teaching and learning, including designing literature-based units that emphasize racial literacy, selecting literature that highlights voices of color, analyzing Whiteness in canonical literature, examining texts through a critical race lens, managing challenges of race talk, and designing formative assessments for racial literacy and identity growth.

Book Features:

Specific classroom scenarios and transcripts of race-related challenges that teachers will recognize to help situate suggested strategies. Sample racial literacy objectives, questions, and assessments to guide unit instruction. A literature-based unit that addresses societal racism in A Raisin in the Sun. Assignments for exploring Whiteness in the teaching of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Questions teachers can use to examine To Kill a Mockingbird through a critical race lens. Techniques for managing difficult moments in whole group discussions. Collaborative glossary and exploratory essay assignments to build understanding of race-based concepts and racial identity development.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Race, Professional Development, History, Adult

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2019

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for English teachers— especially those who teach majority white students. Equal parts theoretical and procedural, it provides important frameworks for looking at anti racism in the English classroom and gives practical suggestions for how to actually turn those frameworks into action, lessons, and whole units. The book’s philosophy leans heavily on Toni Morrison’s “Playing in the Dark” and I would absolutely suggest reading that before picking this up. (Also just read Playing in the Dark because it’s incredible).

[Stephanie Fujii · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, but jam packed book that I think was essential reading for me before heading back to teaching in the fall - whatever that looks like...

As a teacher, and one of American Literature, I am super aware of the white, male, cysgender overrepresentation in the canon. I have been pushing my curriculum in the last several years, as I see need and opportunity. But this book also gave strategies for how to work with existing texts, which often can't be replaced because of funding (new class sets of books are expensive, you know?)

I liked the practicality of this book. It gave concrete lesson ideas, based in actual classrooms. I loved the seeds it planted for me - not giving me a blueprint to roll out, but giving me just enough foundation to plant seeds for how I might work the ideas into my own classrooms in the future.

It was a great read and I'm happy to recommend it to my fellow hardworking literature teachers who I know want to empower students with that critical thinking and real world applicable application. This is it. It's in anti racist education. And this book is a great place to start and/or push your own work.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This text is a great resource for teachers who teach in a predominantly white community. My Kindle tells me I made 87 highlights in this 170 page book, so that says it all. The book offers many ideas and approaches to teach both educators and students how to have critical conversations about race in their classrooms. I will return to this book over and over.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I found this book illuminating and it changed my perspective drastically on how to teach canonical texts. My issue is that it is written with so much intellectual jargon that is would be difficult for some to read. It reads much like a textbook. The parts I enjoyed the most were the actual tips and techniques for the texts we already teach and the recommendations for anti racist literature.

[Sarah Boselovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely FANTASTIC. One of the most impactful "teacher" books I have read in a long time. I was highlighting and annotating like crazy throughout. I can't recommend this enough to teachers who are ready to do the work to have a better, more inclusive classroom.

We don't have to teach a book because it's always been taught, but if we still want to teach it, there are different ways to approach it.

[Steve Chisnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent work, for its size measured against its ambition, but as it rightly points out: it neither sees itself as anything but an introductory foray into the subject nor a complete statement (the work is open, unfinished, a "living document"). It understands, despite the concerns of many GR reviewers here, that it will not answer every question we have; but nor should the topic of how ELA teachers approach CRT. The bibliography and suggested readings lists alone are demonstration of how much still awaits we who are learning.

It is in the nature of practitioners of public education, perhaps, to seek a solution to a particular pedagogical problem and then move on to the next. Indeed, it is how we survive, at times. But Borsheim-Black and Sarigianides push against this idea just as they push back on the literary theory which it supports: the New Criticism close analysis of closure. Insightfully and needfully, they remind us of an intimate and dynamic connection (common to post-structuralist thinking) between the analysis of literature, our understanding of race concepts, and our understanding of our own racial identities.

There is, then, something deeply political about the traditional academic discipline of reading--just as there is something deeply political in our own nostalgia of it--that is one of education's greatest "blind spots" failures and denials.

The questions raised here--and through our engagement in all race discussions--should transform our thinking deliberately and unendingly. Why else do we read?

(Then why 4 stars? First, I sense that the authors might have gone further, regardless, perhaps mapping out a course for future questions/studies/examinations/calls to action. Second, there was at times a mismatch in illustrations of classroom expectations between public schooling and the schooling of future teachers, IMO.)

[Sean Kottke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up for two main reasons: 1) I know one of the authors and respect her scholarship very much; and 2) I'm gearing up for a final defense of a set of teacher preparation standards in ELA and mathematics that promote the (to some) audacious notion that it's important for all teachers, including white teachers working in overwhelmingly white schools, to have an understanding of the dynamics of power & privilege in the history of education that have resulted in inequitable educational outcomes for minoritized populations. What makes this book transcendent is that it's not just a useful and vitally important resource for teachers and teacher educators; it's also an excellent stimulus for the adult reader to consider how their reading diet - both what they read and how they read it - can be directed toward the service of building a new, more just and equitable society. The classroom conversation and discourse guidelines presented here may be equally applied to the internal discourse of the adult reader grappling with how to be a better person in the world by examining heretofore unquestioned racial assumptions through a critical approach to literature. The beauty of the book is that such considerations are represented in clear, accessible prose, not arcane academic discourse. And the authors embrace a humility about this work being a beginning, for the reader and for themselves.

[Willsy Waites · Rating 4 out of 5]

Embracing discomfort, viewing anxiety as building blocks to profound classroom experience. Offers useful ideas, terms, and encouragement to white teachers of any discipline.

[Leslie (updates on SG) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This important book offers strategies to help White teachers and White students build racial literacy: to not only comprehend fundamental race concepts (e.g., systemic racism, colorblindness, White talk), but also "understand the ways they are constructed racially and the ways race and racial privilege influence their experiences, identities, and worldviews."

Although I do not teach K12 literature, I will use some of these strategies to become more sensitive to how my own racial identity influences my reading of literature. I also think their strategy of expecting racist talk may help discussions of race in other contexts:

"I am not going to be sitting in discussions, listening, ready to pounce at someone when they utter something racist as evidence of their racism. I already assume you are racist; as am I. It is the air we breathe. Our efforts here are to work together to help each other take note of our racism, acknowledge it, show it to the air in order to begin the laborious and necessary work of dispelling it."

Some may find fault with the authors' decision to focus on race and racism as they relate to Blackness and Whiteness, as opposed to including all races. I accept the authors' rationale (to delve more deeply into historical and present-day examples), and appreciate their acknowledgement of the limitations of this approach.

[Madeline Lindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical strategies and ideas to consider when discussing race in the English classroom. A must-read for English teachers.

[Caroline Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strong 3.5.

I appreciate the way this book anchored itself in practical application and real life examples. I found some of these applications/examples unrealistic, but with education being the varied field that it is, I don’t think it’s possible to avoid that result.

I am especially intrigued by the idea of a collaborative glossary and an exploratory essay as activities for growing in understandings of race and racism. I wish I could talk to a teacher who has tried either in his/her class.

The authors certainly spend a lot of time qualifying their ideas....and this gets a little old. I get the impulse - hi, I’m white and writing about race so I will make sure that I’m being very, very clear!!! - but it can be tiring to read over and over. Would I write like that too, though? .....Yeah, probably. It’s better to err on the side of sensitivity, right?

My main takeaway is that I want more resources on this topic. I don’t know enough and I want to know more!

[Nate Hipple · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being perfectly blunt: I was not overly impressed by this book. I think it tackles an important subject and I appreciate what it's trying to do, but I just don't think it's particularly adept at doing it. It's clear this book is written for the academic audience as every section reads like a college term paper. I grew tired of the authors telling me what they were going to talk about and then launching into disclaimers before saying anything. Then, they'd summarize everything at the end. While Chapter 6 came the closest to realizing the book's potential (and there is a lot of potential here), I felt the others were too focused on discussing specific cases to really tackle the blueprints and planning behind teaching an antiracist curriculum. I was really hoping for more from this.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers how to teach critical race theory as a Black/white binary to a predominantly white student body. Lots of focus on pedagogy and specific strategies. I would have liked to see more focus on intersectionality, embedding history, the ways whiteness has value, and how to prevent further trauma to the BIPOC students in the room, which this assumes is a small number. Does not address how to have these conversations with students where whiteness is not the majority. If someone is new to teaching CRT and is teaching classes of largely white students, this is will give ideas on how to begin.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read about literature, teaching, race, and being anti-racist. If you teach literature to anyone, read this book!

The authors do a great job of pointing out their own flaws and classroom moments that could have been handled differently (better, really), as well as breaking down commonly-taught high school novels including To Kill A Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and Huckleberry Finn and how to discuss race in the classroom. Super helpful tips, all backed up by anecdotes and research, and lots of ways to broach race--yes, that includes whiteness--in your English / literature classroom.

I need to buy a copy so I can read it again more slowly and mark it up. Lots of books like this are theoretical rather than practical; what I particularly appreciate (hence the rare 5-star rating) is the how-to and the why. There are also lots of resources in the conclusion, from novels to podcasts to websites, that readers can refer to. This also refrains from being self-righteous or preachy; rather, the authors incorporate many lessons they've learned the hard way, as well as examples of lessons done well or gone awry from the students' and teachers' perspectives. All of that undergirds their message, which is that letting go of literary whiteness and antiracist teaching is a process, one that, for white folks, never ends, and one that will be riddled with mistakes and errors.

[adeservingporcupine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I’m just not sure who this book is for. It’s pretty academia heavy for a k-12 teacher who might be wanting to start using these ideas in their classroom (I’m not sure the authors have much familiarity with how to teach middle/high school), but the ideas are actually sort of entry level and not particularly well-fleshed out for anyone who’s been trying this already. I guess I wanted more concreteness for teaching white kids and less research/theory. In terms of race talk, the better book is definitely Not Light, But Fire (by Matthew Kay). I’m not a fan of some of the race talk strategies in this book (telling students “I assume we’re all racist”, etc) because they do seem to ignore that there are Black students in the room. Also, this book came before the CRT panic so gives very little strategy on dealing with that. I appreciate the effort, but didn’t really get much out of this one.

[Peter Merkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book while working with a homogenous white rural high school grappling with several public incidences of student racism. This text occurs a number of concrete suggestions for developing an anti-racist literature curriculum, including text selection, objectives, assessments, and class discussion. Many of the recommendations were developed from the authors' experiences as teachers and teacher educators, and the portrayals of classroom incidences are familiar to anyone who has tried to teach white students about race and racism.

In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Borsheim-Black and Dr. Sarigianides for being willing to engage in conversations with my team. Their recommendations have been invaluable.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me by the district as we begin to replace the TKAM text from our 9th grade curriculum. I have been participating in a book study but I decided over the break to finish it up so I would be prepared when the crazy semester starts again. This book is exactly what white teachers like myself need in order to continue our equity journey. Borsheim-Black does an exceptional job providing practical ideas and thoughts for teachers and gives examples of canonical texts and how you can think about racial standards just like you do reading and writing standards. I appreciated the brevity of this book and I also found a lot of places where I was highlighting and starring and uh-huh"ing" to myself. I will definitely look forward to working my way through the book this year.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concrete steps in this book—questions to consider when applying CRT, formulating CRT-focused essential questions—are practical and applicable to any English classroom. The author's suggestions for how to approach conversations around the n-word are misaligned with their purpose. While educating students on the history of the word and the trauma that it evokes when written or read is important, these conversations should never be based on student "feelings" towards the word, particularly in a majority white classroom. It should not be said aloud by teachers as the authority figures or by students. The likelihood of perpetuating trauma is too great.

[Rebecca Epting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I’m not an English language arts teacher, I thought this was a great book. I was so interested in the perspective presented here that it was difficult to put down. Lots of concrete ways to discuss racial literacy through text (an in depth look at Raisin in the Sun, Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird), strategies to facilitate conversations about race in the classroom, and how to channel the discussion when it gets uncomfortable. Most of all the book focuses on the need to have racial conversations about whiteness with white students.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate that the authors of this book took the time at the beginning to reflect on their own limitations in writing in, their identities, their backgrounds, the limitations of the kinds of teachers they worked with in their programs. They gave so many resources but also gave specific examples of scenarios, lessons, objectives, actions, etc. that kept the reader from being overwhelmed. Many of these types of resources leave me wondering where to begin, but I don't feel that way upon finishing this.

[Emily Warrington-Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent reading for any educator looking to improve the way race is studied and analysed in their English classroom/ classrooms in their department. Excellent practical tips on how to get students to engage critically with racial concepts and to do so carefully and with sensitivity. Good practical examples of how to take texts which are widely taught and explore them through the lens of critical race theory. The suggestions offer effective ways to allow students to understand systematic and cultural racism as well as being critical of how canonical texts represent whiteness.

[Brenda Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helps literature teachers present literature to white students in an anti-racist manner. It provides guidance on how to design objectives, challenge stereotypes in literature, and navigate difficult conversations about race in the classroom. Examples are provided from a number of widely taught texts, and the ideas can be applied to any literature. The authors emphasize why it's important to discuss race with white students and support teachers in building their skills of challenging racism.

[Lisa Penninga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an eye-opening read. How we teach the canon texts, why we should disrupt the canon, and how to teach antiracist effectively in the classroom. It has practical curriculum focal areas as well as questions we should ask for our students in the classroom.

“Antiracist education encourages teachers to challenge curriculum that over represents dominate racial perspectives with alternative points of view designed to more accurately and fully represent history and society.”

[Emily Hampton]

Excellent book. I'm a librarian and don't always have a say in the design of assignments or the treatment of a text over the course of a semester, but this thoughtful examination of antiracist teaching in a specific discipline is excellent and got me thinking about how I can apply these ideas in the library. I particularly got a lot out of Chapter 6: Planning for and Responding to Race Talk, which talks a good bit about facilitating classroom conversations.

[pey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a must read for any English teacher, especially in white-dominated schools. I really enjoyed how the book provided so many concrete examples for assignments, learning goals, and assessments - essentially designing a lesson plan for you. Any question I had was answered by the end of the book, and by the time I finish I had dozens of pages marked for future reference for my student teaching!

[Brynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for class (Teaching Literature) - There’s a lot here that teachers can take into their classrooms, but I would say the major thing missing from this book is a discussion of whether and how the pedagogy outlined here can apply to students of color as well- what would antiracist literature education look like for all students?

[Madison Gannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great instructional tool for English teachers who are searching for ways to implement antiracist literature instruction. Offers suggestions with real life examples on ways to combat the difficulties and benefits of doing such work. Highly recommend!

[Ryan Murfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read and resource. The book inudes concepts valuable to teaching and learning about race as well as concrete examples of how to bring a Critical Race Lens into the English classroom. This is the kind of thing English departments should be discussing.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's... a starting point.

[Susan Connell Biggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a valuable resource for teachers. Theory and practical application. Will be guiding my teaching this year.