White Teacher Talks About Race Book

This book by veteran writing teacher Julie Landsman, guides the reader through a typical day of teaching in very diverse, inner city environment in Minneapolis. To illustrate her exploration of race and culture in our public schools, she uses rich and poignant vignettes from her students' lives, conveying the painful reality of many of their backgrounds, but also their intelligence, creativity and great warmth. These stories are interspersed in a more academic reflection on how young people negotiate what William Ayers calls 'the tricky terrain of identity within an American multiplicity'. Ms Landsman writes frankly about white privilege, institutional racism and social injustice. A considerable portion of the book gives practical advice about how Caucasian teachers can create a more inclusive classroom environment. She does not explicitly mention the digital divide, but the inequalities she describes certainly make us aware how the situation has arisen.

The book is relevant to my AmeriCorps service because I too serve in an urban environment with mainly students of color. My home and service site are in St Paul, so I was drawn to this book due to the local flavor and discussion of familiar issues. She has changed the name of the school she teaches in and those of her students, but much of what she describes I also see at Neighborhood House every day, both with my adult learners and in the Youth Center.

Although I tend to be something of a slow reader, I actually could not put this one down, and finished it on one Saturday. I would recommend it to everyone in AmeriCorps who is involved with teaching in any way. Landsman's style is extremely engaging, and she honestly and disarmingly acknowledges her past and current failings and prejudices as well as her successes in the classroom with her vibrant challenging students. The book has been very well received by academics and communities of color, which is a testament to the book's sincerity and authenticity.