How to Talk About Race
Thank You, Dr. Scott!
Dr. Karla Scott, St. Louis University Professor of Communication, gave Forum members a wonderful presentation on how to talk about race. She suggested that George Floyd’s killing was a moment of cognitive dissonance for Americans, particularly white Americans. The event flew in the face of what we thought we knew to be true and begged the question, how did we get here?
Dr. Scott painted a historic picture of how racism, a social construct, was a strategy to create “othering.” From slavery to Jim Crow and redlining, she demonstrated how our government and the American culture has sanctioned racism.
It’s no wonder that we find it difficult now to have dialogue about racism. But it’s extremely, important for us to do so to move forward. Scott encouraged us to acknowledge and sit with our discomfort, listen to understand not reply, intentionally learn more, question what we’ve been taught, learn how to talk about taboo topics and learn how to examine our own “stuff.”
She also emphasized the importance of language. Language shapes what we see and what we know, it impacts what we believe, it influences our actions and interactions.
In the end, Scott encouraged us to forge ahead, make mistakes, forgive ourselves and keep going. She told us it takes courage to have the conversation and to put our insight into practice.
You can
watch the entire presentation here. Or view Dr. Scott’s slide deck and
book recommendations, as well.
Active listening strategies
Verbal and nonverbal strategies for dialogue