"Race is something you can’t just ignore, and treating everyone the same is not the answer. We need to embrace everyone’s differences and learn about everyone’s story.”
-Roundtable participant
Racial Literacy Roundtables
Led by collaborators from UNL (TLTE, CYAF and the Teacher Scholars Academy), UNO, and UNK, the Racial Literacy Roundtables are for students, particularly pre-service teachers, to work on developing racial literacy skills. Specifically, racial literacy is “a skill and practice in which individuals are able to probe the existence of racism and examine the effects of race and institutionalized systems on their experiences and representations in U.S. Society” (Sealey-Ruiz, 2017, p. 129). Together through the Racial Literacy Roundtables, we are seeking to find and claim our abilities as anti-racists from a variety of backgrounds and identities.
About Us
What is Racial Literacy Roundtables?
A collaboration between TLTE, CYAF, and Teacher Scholars Academy, has resulted in funding through the University of Nebraska Inclusive Excellence Development Grant competition to launch a Racial Literacy Roundtable initiative. Beginning Fall 2019, we host monthly roundtables where participants be able to develop emerging racial literacy skills. Specifically, racial literacy is, “a skill and practice in which individuals are able to probe the existence of racism and examine the effects of race and institutionalized systems on their experiences and representations in U.S. Society” (Sealey-Ruiz, 2017, p. 129). The roundtables are open to the public. However, they are being developed with undergraduate, pre-service teachers in mind, including participation of the inaugural cohort of the Teachers Scholars Academy. All are welcome to attend who would like to participate in the discussions (faculty, staff, students).
Racial Literacy Roundtable Learning Goals
Since the focus of the roundtables is on developing Racial Literacy skills, the purpose of the discussions will be to use various relevant topics regarding race and racism in education to provoke thinking and ideas. The purpose is to build skills around examining and discussing race and racism—not necessarily becoming an expert on racism in the U.S. education system. Specifically, each roundtable will engage with a topic related to race and education and guest speaker(s)/expert(s) to address to overarching learning goals to:
• Develop skills to talk across difference about topics that can be challenging.
• Develop open and positive dispositions towards difference that lead to further engagement across diverse communities.
In meeting these learning outcomes through engaging in topics around race and education in the U.S., participants will also address a secondary learning goal to:
• Develop initial/foundational understandings/knowledge around issues regarding race, including the sociopolitical and historical context of race in the U.S.
Roundtables
Racial Literacy Roundtables for AY 2024-2025
The Racial Literacy Roundtables will be hosting three online roundtables during Fall Semester 2024 and three online roundtables during Spring Semester 2025. We may add additional webinars and events to our line-up as the year progresses, so please stay tuned!
To participate in our roundtables and webinars, you must register for each event separately. Only those who have registered will be able to join the event.
To register, please pick the event date and time you would like to register for and follow the instructions on the page that comes up. You will know you have successfully registered when you get an email with the login information. Use that login information on the date and time of the event to join the Roundtable.
Fall Semester 2024
Spring Semester 2025
If you have any questions or concerns about the Racial Literacy Roundtables, please contact Tricia Gray at trish@unl.edu.
UNL Racial Literacy Roundtables earn system-wide inclusive excellence award
📅13 May 2022
University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter announced May 12 that the Racial Literacy Roundtables in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Education and Human Sciences have received the 2022 Inclusive Excellence Collaboration Award.