Format for second dialogue, please note

Hi all,

I am posting here for those of you who tend to (accidentally?) delete my emails. You can always find the info here if you need it. Below I have written out the format for all dialogues except those for Clemmons' 5:45-6:45 Thursday dialogue. Please note that facilitator hand outs will be sent to you later today, as will student handouts. If you are able, please bring copies of the student handouts. If you are not, I will have some on hand.

Each dialogue is structured in 5 parts:

1. Introduction: (suggestion) Have students say something about themselves and something they took from the last dialogue. Facilitators should explain a bit about their role in the discussion and why they/you made the commitment to work on this project.

2. Framework for dialogue:

• List the content and process goals for the dialogue. A potential content goal might be to discuss the ways whiteness organizes racial categories and impacts all of our lives. Process goals might be to be listen openly and without immediate judgment and to be reflective about feelings of defensiveness, frustration or anger. Where is this coming from?
• Remind students of the debate vs. dialogue idea--mention that if they find themselves coming up with arguments, might want to remember the goal is not to find out who is right and who is wrong. Also we need to acknowledge the moral implications of our discussion.
• Remind students of principles of learning community. You can hand these out or pass a few around for them to look over as you discuss them. Even if a "safe" environment is unrealistic it's important to emphasize an atmosphere of curiosity, openness and good intentions.
• Tell students how the dialogue will proceed (dyads, then larger group, then closing)

3. Dyad exercise. See facilitation handout that was sent out today on resistance and engagement strategies. Make sure students are addressing both resistance and possibilities for engagement.

4. Bring back to larger group discussion. Ask, "How did it feel to do this exercise?" "Was there an "aha" moment for you as you were reading over and discussing these?" For students of color you might ask "How do you feel when you see other people doing this?" "Do you ever do this yourself? Why?"

To bring the discussion back to the structural issues, you can use the MacIntosh handout on white privileges, which locates some of the more abstract, structural benefits of whiteness in concrete practices--practices that do not necessarily separate out race, class and gender but show how they depend on one another. We will have this handout available. You can also download it from Unpacking the Knapsack

5. Closing. You may choose to have participants say a brief word about the dialogue, or just summarize what we have discussed. You might also orient them toward the final dialogue by asking them what they might do next, ,as a result of the dialogue. PLEASE remember to have all participants write a brief reflection paper (2 minutes or so).

THURS

CC 165-169 Thursday 12-2

CC 101 Thursday 2-4, 4-6

Herter 231 Clemmons' class 5:45-6:45

Machmer E33 6-8

FRIDAY

all but 6-8 session in CC 101. 6-8 is in Machmer E33

GOOD LUCK and THANKS

Leda