Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Strategies for Facilitating Conversations on Race

Facilitating conversations about race often involves tension, as both the facilitators and participants bring emotional experiences and their deeply held values and beliefs into the room. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Strategies for Facilitating Conversations on Race guides facilitators through a process of becoming comfortable with the discomfort in leading conversations about racism, privilege and power. This book walks you through the important steps to create a foundation where participants feel brave enough to take risks and share their stories and perspectives. It guides you through strategies for engaging participants in courageous conversations with one another in ways that don’t shame and blame people into understanding. This book is a useful tool for individuals, organizations and college professors who are interested in learning techniques for guiding their audience through dialogue whereby they become open to listening to one another for understanding rather than holding on to old beliefs and maintaining a posture of defense. Readers will learn how the dynamics of race show up in cross cultural spaces, including the unique challenges faced by facilitators of color and white facilitators. In addition, we explore how to identify and counter white privilege in the dialogue between participants. Both novice and experienced facilitators will learn helpful strategies for leading conversation that result in people recognizing their role as change agents in ending oppression.