From Intellectual Exercise to Facilitated Dialogue: How One Class Confronted Race and Racism in the Social Work Classroom

Authors

  • Rosalyn Denise Campbell University of Georgia
  • Dashawna J. Fussell-Ware University of Tennessee-Knoxville
  • Madison R. Winchester Cascade AIDS Project

Keywords:

racism, diversity, higher education, MSW, teaching and learning

Abstract

Social work education is primarily charged with preparing students to engage in social justice work that includes combating racism and other forms of inequity. However, these inequities are often viewed as external to social work academia and the discipline as a whole. In this article, we will share our individual perspectives, as Black instructor, Black student, and White student, of racially charged events that came to a head in a shared social work classroom space. We will share our thoughts on how race and racism were discussed and addressed in our school of social work in general; our personal experiences of race, racism, and/or microaggressions; and, finally, our feelings about how race and racism were addressed by the instructor during this culminating event. I (Campbell) will also discuss how my response mapped on to a critical race theory–informed approach to addressing race and racism in higher education/university settings.

Author Biographies

Rosalyn Denise Campbell, University of Georgia

Rosalyn Denise Campbell, PhD, LMSW is former Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, and current independent researcher, educator, and mentor (dr.rdcampbell.phd@gmail.com).

Dashawna J. Fussell-Ware, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Dashawna J. Fussell-Ware, PhD, LSW is Assistant Professor, College of Social Work, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Nashville, TN (fdubs@utk.edu).

Madison R. Winchester, Cascade AIDS Project

Madison R. Winchester, MSW/MPH, LICSW is Clinical HIV Case Manager, Cascade AIDS Project, Portland, OR (mrosewinchester@gmail.com).

Downloads

Published

2024-02-28

How to Cite

Campbell, R. D., Fussell-Ware, D. J., & Winchester, M. R. (2024). From Intellectual Exercise to Facilitated Dialogue: How One Class Confronted Race and Racism in the Social Work Classroom. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 30(1), 65–80. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1979