Race and Art Education

See all Art Education in Practice titles.

By Amelia M. Kraehe & Joni B. Acuff

From the authors—“Understanding the complexities of race in our culture, especially as it relates to educating students of all backgrounds in rural, suburban, and urban school settings, is crucial. Race is clearly an issue in our society and one that impacts much of what we do as educators. We need knowledge, language, and strategies to assist us as we attempt to address it in our day-to-day professional lives.

The pervasiveness of racism in the United States implores art educators to build a succinct, explicit vocabulary that helps us speak frankly about the way race guides our work in the field (from pedagogy, curriculum, classroom management, parent interactions, institutional interactions, etc). Strategies for sustaining constructive conversations about race can help art teachers dispel stereotypes, and challenge biases and fears of differences in the classroom.”

This title in the Art Education in Practice Series addresses issues of race in an accessible style and with a focus on classroom practice. There is sparse literature that supports teachers in developing the kind of knowledge and sensitivities about race needed for today’s art classrooms. This book aims to provide a well-informed introduction to essential concepts, vocabularies, strategies, and methods for engaging race and racialized human differences in a constructive, equity-oriented manner. Kraehe and Acuff carefully explore topics including how race and racism enter classrooms, and concepts like unconscious bias and microaggression. There is potential for art education to move us forward in the ways we think about race, and this book includes units of instruction and practical suggestions for doing so.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Understanding Race and Racism in Art Education: A Journey
• Chapter 2: Race: It’s Not So Black and White
• Chapter 3: Seeing Is Believing: Racism through Technologies of Looking
• Chapter 4: Growing Up in Racialized Worlds: Race and Racism in Students’ Lives
• Chapter 5: Awakening an Abolitionist Mindset in the Art Classroom
• Chapter 6: Anti-Racist Art Pedagogy: Activating Racial Literacy with Students

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