Forum: Reflections on White Racial Identity in the ABE Classroom - Part 3 of 4 - Response to Stephen D. Brookfield's Why White Instructors Should Explore Their White Racial Identity

Oct 15, 2026

Response to Stephen D. Brookfield’s argument that white instructors should examine their white racial identity, agreeing in principle while shifting emphasis toward practical guidance for how, when, and why such explorations should occur in adult basic education (ABE) settings. The paper challenges separation of whiteness from other identities and proposes empathy-building learning activities grounded in lived experience, including pair interviewing, reflective journals, and autobiographical work. It outlines key practice considerations—context, timing, audience, visibility, and purpose—and connects these to instructional goals such as literacy improvement through reflective everyday practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Practice Considerations

Context

Timing

Audience

Humanness

Purpose

ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION Fall 2019 Forum: Reflections on White Racial Identity in the ABE Classroom (Part 3 of 4) Response to Stephen D. Brookfield's Why White Instructors Should Explore Their White Racial Identity Shantih E. Clemans, SUNY Empire State College In principle, I agree with Stephen Brookfield’s strong assertion that white teachers need to carefully explore what it means to be white. However, I have two primary points of departure. First, Brookfield falls short in offering practical guidance to support the imperative of whiteexploration. While I see the importance of white people embarking on self-exploration, I have more practical concerns. Specifically, how, when and why explorations connected to racial identity occur are the more pressing considerations for the flame of change to ignite in the hearts, minds and practices of teachers (and in all of us, frankly). Second, Brookfield claims that we need to reject a “color blind view of the world for its seeming emphasis on the universal aspect of humanity.”He also suggests that whiteness can be separated out from other aspects of human identity. On the contrary, I see the more chances we take to learn from each other-teacher, student, black, brown, white (and all) -the more seeds of empathy are planted, the more commonalities we recognize in each other. Rather than something to critique, humanness is actually a doorway in, a tool to unlock the gnarly puzzle of privilege and power. In college-readiness programs and community-based GED centers, one small way white-dominated conceptualizations of humanness can be redirected is through the creation of learning activities that are rooted in personal experiences connected to race, such as pair interviewing exercises, reflective journals, and autobiographies (Clemans, 2017).“Many teachers include activities that engage students in sharing their experiences and finding their commonalities—not just personal characteristics such as how many sisters they have, but talking about how an issue touches their daily lives”(Nash, 2019, p. 64). I maintain that only through curiosity, genuine care, openness, and listening to people’s life experiences (really listening from their perspective) can whiteness (and blackness, femaleness, and queerness for that matter) be brought into sharp focus. Practice Considerations Brookfield’s claims are fast and furious. Maybe too fast. Personal exploration on whiteness is a complex undertaking with delicate practice considerations, specifically: context, timing, audience, visibility, and purpose. Let’s begin with context. Under what conditions and circumstances are these explorations in white racial identity occurring? Is the setting a public Correspondence: Shantih E. Clemans, [shantih.clemans@esc.edu](shantih.clemans@esc.edu) 61 library with a summer class for new immigrants learning English? Is the teacher preparing to facilitate a discussion on race and power in America? Or is it a pre-college math class? I’d argue that it matters. Next is the important consideration of timing. When are or when should explorations about one’s whiteness happen? For example, does a white teacher jump right in on day one of the workshop series and say,“I’m white and this is what it means.” Or, do the results of this exploration happen after the students and teacher have established a routine, where certain expectations for learning, even a fledging trust, have developed? If we are considering whiteness in an ongoing workshop, self-awareness around racial identity needs to be a theme woven throughout the weeks of the training. What about the audience? For example, what are the reflections on whiteness teachers have with themselves? Meaningful mechanisms are necessary to guide and support internal reflections about one’s racial identity and the power connected to one’s identity. External audience also needs consideration. For example, after some version of internal reflection and self-

FAQs

What is the author’s main agreement with Stephen D. Brookfield’s position?

The author agrees with Brookfield’s core claim that white teachers should carefully explore what it means to be white. She treats this as an important starting point for educators.

Why does the author argue for practical guidance beyond the call to explore whiteness?

She says Brookfield offers insufficient practical direction about how, when, and why identity exploration should happen. She emphasizes these specifics as essential for meaningful change in teaching and practice.

Which practice considerations does the author highlight for explorations of white racial identity?

She identifies context, timing, audience, visibility, and purpose. She explains how these factors shape how educators structure reflection and engagement in ABE learning environments.

Oct 15, 2026

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