Many adults struggle to talk about race. Some avoid the topic because they feel uncomfortable. Others don’t understand how race shapes opportunities, systems, or current events.
In the article “The Case for Racial Literacy,” research author Joni Schwartz-Chaney, City University of New York–LaGuardia Community College, argues that racial literacy is essential for meaningful civic participation and everyday decision-making. Some scholars even suggest it is necessary to sustain a healthy democracy. Adult educators already teach multiple literacies—numeracy, digital skills, health literacy, and more. Racial literacy, she contends, is an essential part of adult education that deserves equal priority.
What is Racial Literacy?
Racial literacy includes the ability to:
- understand race as a social—not biological—construct
- recognize how racism shows up in institutions like education and health care
- connect personal experiences to larger historical forces
- communicate respectfully about race
Like all forms of literacy, racial literacy grows over time.
How Adult Educators Can Teach Racial Literacy
The article highlights Professor Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz’s Racial Literacy Development Model, which encourages educators to interrupt assumptions and biases, reflect on their own experiences with race, learn racial history, and engage in honest, humble conversations.
Before tackling racial literacy, the biggest things instructors can do are:
- Pause to question how your beliefs and past experiences have shaped your assumptions today.
- Disrupt those assumptions to understand how racism affects students’ lives.
- Learn about the history that shapes racial issues today.
When teachers are ready, there are simple ways to weave racial literacy into existing, everyday instruction.
1. Use reflective writing: Invite learners to write about their backgrounds, communities, or moments when they felt included or excluded. Sharing is optional.
2. Add texts that build understanding: Choose short articles, poems, or excerpts that include diverse voices or address racism, history, or identity.
3. Connect past and present: When discussing current events, help learners explore the historical context behind them.
4. Teach conversation skills: Set clear discussion norms, practice active listening, and use sentence frames to help learners talk respectfully about challenging topics.
5. Introduce key ideas clearly: Concepts from Critical Race Theory—like understanding how racism can be systemic—can help learners make sense of the world when taught in simple, accurate ways.
The Bottom Line
Racial literacy strengthens adults’ ability to understand their world, engage with others, and participate confidently in their communities. By making efforts to include diverse voices and experiences in our teaching, we can add a layer to the way students learn to think critically, communicate respectfully, and connect their own stories to the larger story of our country.
Schwartz-Chaney’s article is included as the Viewpoint in the fall issue of Adult Literacy Education: The International Journal of Literacy, Language, and Numeracy.