Proposition 1

“If the race conversation is about a hard problem, provide space and time for students to (1) locate their sphere of influence, and (2) explore personal pathways to solutions” (p. 120)

Each student’s sphere of influence will differ, and teachers can facilitate discussion around how privilege, bias, and inequity play a part in spheres of influence. For example, one student may have an adult they know on the school board. Some may have many adults in the school building they trust while others, because of racial bias and social inequities, may be more isolated. Teachers must be prepared to think about and discuss how equity and inequity contribute to spheres of influence.

Kay suggests the following activity as one that empowers students to take an active role in their learning. For example, students could discuss affirmative action and discuss whether it’s important to hire teachers of color by starting with a free write before engaging in discussion.

While much of the sphere of influence around affirmative action is in the hands of adults, students can benefit from locating their sphere of influence and paths to action as:

While the example offered here is about affirmative action, the format can be adapted for any conversation around race and equity by having students understand the relevance of the discussion topic and creating personal solutions to the proposed topic. Teachers are also encouraged to have students generate a list of social issues that they want to address.