Unmasking Whiteness: Anti-Racist Strategies for Teacher Education

• In Event: Unmasking and Undoing Whiteness: Power, and Praxis across Educational Contexts

Abstract

In today's U.S. educational landscape, the need for preservice teachers (PSTs) to develop strong anti-racist identities is critical. The K-12 system faces persistent racial disparities and systemic racism that privilege Whiteness in policies, curricula, and pedagogy. Recent legislative actions threaten efforts to advance racial justice by restricting discussions on race, gender, and systemic oppression. This paper explores strategies for disrupting Whiteness in teacher education, emphasizing the need to frame race as a social construct, differentiate between White racial identity and Whiteness as an ideology, and shift PSTs from racial awareness to active resistance. Drawing on White Teacher Identity Studies, Racial Literacy, and Neo-abolitionist Teaching, the paper proposes pedagogical approaches that integrate cognitive and affective dimensions to empower PSTs as change agents. These strategies aim to prepare educators to navigate political constraints and advocate for systemic change, contributing to a multiracial future grounded in intersectional justice.

Author

• Aaron Allen Baker, Illinois State University