Multicultural Student Center training: Tips for working with students of color

Happy Friday everyone! Here is the MSC's handout from the training that our Lead Academic Mentors did with the Multicultural Student Center in August. More information about the Multicultural Student Center can be found on their website: http://msc.wisc.edu/ 

 

Working with Students of Color

I. Engagement

1) Active listening

*Listening is perhaps the most important thing you can do when working with students of color. It’s generic, but important. Listen—really listen—to what students are saying. We all experience the world differently, so giving space for students to say what they’re experiencing is key. Listen without making assumptions or judgments, and without relating everything back to yourself.

2) Respect others’ process

*Respect that people who are marginalized in various ways on this campus and in this country have different kinds of access—to knowledge, to opportunities, etc. We all have different starting points in any conversation—from mathematic concepts, to canonic literature, to job search strategies. Check your assumptions and know that others’ starting points may not look like yours.

3) Engage as a person and peer

* Students of color are often made to feel that they have a ‘story’ and a ‘history’ unlike white students. Remember to bring your whole self to your work. Often, if you’re working with students of color, you’re in a position of authority, of some kind. Remember to approach students as peers, and to remember that you’re learning in this relationship too.

4) Acknowledge race

*We’re often taught to talk around race, and to avoid any mention of difference. This charade fools nobody. Acknowledge that race is a real factor in all of our lives, and that we have all had different racialized experiences. Name the impact of race in your life, and acknowledge the privilege or oppression you have faced based on your identity.

II. Stereotypes

1) Don’t assume, don’t generalize

*We all have racial biases and stereotypes; it’s foolish to pretend that any of us are immune from them. Acknowledge that you have stereotypes, and work on challenging them. Know that the students you work with will never fit neatly into a stereotype. You should constantly be challenging your biases.

2) Do your own learning, and keep learning

*You never stop learning. You should constantly be educating yourself. Don’t expect others to teach you. It’s okay to ask genuine questions, but you also need to learn for yourself, on your own time. Don’t expect others to teach you. Learn the histories of people of color in the U.S., and stay up to date with racial justice news. This is essential for increasing your capacity to effectively work with a diverse group of students of color.

3) Ask questions out of necessity, not curiosity

*It’s fine to ask questions when they have a purpose, and will help you in your role, or if you’re following up on information provided by a student. Don’t ask questions just to satisfy your own curiosity – they’re invasive and rude, and solidify an ‘us’-‘them’ dynamic. There may be moments when students of color do not want to answer personal questions, and they should have the space to do so.

II. Power & Privilege

1) Power & Privilege

*Power and privilege are everywhere. Privilege refers to an advantage or benefit, and in this case, one that is based on identity. Those with privilege have power. So for example, in the U.S. white people have racial privilege, men have gender privilege, wealthy people have class privilege, etc. Those with privilege have often had an easier time navigating the world, and act accordingly. Those dynamics absolutely enter academic spaces. If you’re working with students one-on-one, know that your identities, and your privileges, are in the room. If you’re working with a group of students, watch how those dynamics play out in the room. Watch who talks and who listens, who interrupts and who is interrupted, watch who feels comfortable challenging authority and who doesn’t. Part of your role is to interrupt these dynamics.

2) Savior complex

*One of the most important points for working with any group of marginalized people is to remember that you aren’t saving anyone. One way to mitigate the dynamics of power, as a person providing a service, is to recognize that you’re always in a mutually learning relationship. You are learning too. Realize that ultimately any person is the authority of their own life, and does not need ‘saving.’

3) Acknowledge when you’re wrong.

*This is one of the hardest tips. Acknowledge when you mess up. It’s okay – we all do it. None of us are perfect. But trying to cover up a mistake is always obvious, and never genuine.

4) Remember to focus on people who share your identity

*Every community has work that we need to do, and often we can have a greater impact with people who share our identities. Don’t forget to engage your own communities, especially your communities of privilege, in this work.

Created by Sasha Wijeyeratne, Social Justice Education Specialist at the Multicultural Student Center (MSC), in August 2014. For permission to use, please contact MSC staff: www.msc.wisc.edu.