Paper Example on Uprooting White Supremacy Culture: Ensuring Racial Equity in Schools

Introduction

Racial equity is an important factor of consideration in making schools a conducive environment for learning. Ideally, education encompasses various things that students should learn apart from just getting an education, this includes lessons to make them grow up wholly and be able to appreciate and socially function in any given setting (Bierman et al., 2010). White Supremacy Culture as a key factor of inequity has manifested in the education system creating social inequity among learners. However, in addressing the issue and championing for equity, it is important to introduce Social and Emotional Learning to foster a culture of equity.

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Consequently, it is important for educators to acknowledge the existence of white supremacy culture in schools and work towards suppressing it. Undoubtedly, WSC is a root cause of institutional racism, structural racism, and white privilege, it is, therefore, important to equip learners with Social and Emotional skills to prevent the continuous circle and growth of social injustices and racisms. Looking at the bigger picture, introducing SEL in the education system, will not only help learners in co-existing but it can also help in fostering courageous conversations and enable students to confront injustices and inequality. Furthermore, it has the potential to create the conditions for youth agency and civic engagement and, ultimately, social change.

SEL implementation is notably taking place in most schools today. According to Hoffman (2009), trends in the implementation of SEL have been seen in most U.S schools. Longitudinal research on the effects of multilayer universal social-emotional learning on student and school characteristics shows the assessment efforts and effectiveness of the program on discipline (Bierman, et al., 2010).

Reyes, et al. (2012), also note changes in classroom climates and emotional connections impacting on academic success among learners. Albeit, despite this exponential growth in popularity of SEL, there is a minimal critical assessment of SEL through Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS). Furthermore, biases in publication resulting in otherwise expected outcomes have made it difficult to characterize ineffective SEL-type programs in the effort to address WSC within education systems. This literature review aims to assess the different ways in which SEL education can dismantle White Supremacy Culture through the Critical Race Theory.

Literature Review

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the umbrella term for the many different kinds of prevention programs that draw from public health, mental health, and juvenile justice perspective to address the social development of children in schools (Hoffman, 2009). It is also recognized in other terms as character education, 21-century skills, non-cognitive skills, among others (Picower, 2009). Notably, SEL is increasingly gaining popularity in determining life outcomes (Jones & Doolittle, 2018).

Through the five SEL competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making), students are able to increase their ability to integrate thinking, emotions, and behavior in ways that lead to positive life outcomes (Elbertson, et al., 2010). Additionally, Elias and Moceri (2012) note that SEL integration in schools curriculum is a key contributor in character development and successful realization of the goals of social and emotional learning in schools. Different variables are present in the discussion of SEL and its benefits in promoting equity and social justice:

SEL Implementation

As noted, the growing need and traction of SEL programs in schools have seen its adoption and implementation. Key stakeholders in the education sector appreciate the importance of this program in advocating for equality and social justice. Notes the growing recognition of SEL in the United States’ local, state, and federal levels. Additionally, schools around the world have acknowledged the need to meet the SEL developmental needs of students for effective teaching and learning (Reinhard, 2014).

SEL Assessment And Effectiveness

Assessment of SEL on the teachers has also been conducted. Given that they are the implementers of the program it is necessary to understand their beliefs and likely influence on program delivery and outcomes. Apparently, SEL has greatly helped the implementers by giving them an easy time managing their leaners (Assessing Teachers’ Beliefs About Social and Emotional Learning, 2012). Further, assessing the implementer's attitudes towards SEL is a key factor in determining delivery. Consequently, assessment of the implementers will also aid in ensuring the program is implemented in an intersectional approach to promote equity.

Academic Achievement/School Climates

It is no doubt that schools that implement SEL and aim to promote both their student's academic, social, and emotional learning are the most successful. States that SEL plays a crucial role in promoting students' academic performance and lifelong learning (Zins, et al, 2004).

White Supremacy Culture

White Supremacy Culture is the ideology that white people's ideas, beliefs, actions, and thoughts are superior to the people of color. Strikingly, one does not have to be a white supremacist to hold these beliefs (Brackett et al., 2012). It is apparent that even people with color can hold these beliefs. Research shows that the basis of this culture is deep-rooted in social institutions, especially in schools. Thus far, it is worth noting and appreciating that SEL is an important channel in dismantling WSC. An assessment of SEL in urban schools indicates remarkable health disparities in regard to ethnicity, race, and socio-economic status. Furthermore, the assessments show that non-white persons from lower socio-economic backgrounds are at a greater risk of mental health concerns such as depression (Barnes, 2019).

Generally, there are dire reasons as to why there is a need to dismantle white supremacy culture in schools. WSC dehumanizes people of color; the actions of white supremacists portray indigenous, black, and people of color as not good enough keeping them at the bottom of racial hierarchy (Brackett et al. 2012). Even so, SEL also in retrospect undergirds white supremacy in the country by engendering the perception that racial tensions in the country are caused by a dearth of emotional intelligence among the young population when in reality they are birthed by systemic and institutionalized racism (Barnes, 2019). Consequently, due to the privilege of whiteness, most white and middle-class charter schools have great access to economic and symbolic resources that ensure the thriving of supremacy events (Urrieta, 2006).

White Supremacy Culture in Schools

Specifically, in the education sector, WSC creates learning opportunity gaps by pushing students of color out of schools. Through white supremacists behaviors, and stereotyping students are made uncomfortable and stressful thus creating psychological hostile learning environments for them (Leonardo, 2009).

SEL and White Supremacy Culture: Dismantling WSC

It is necessary to take into consideration the discussion on WSC and its effects on equality and social justice. As a matter, of fact, teaching SEL in schools and equipping learners with the necessary skills have a great impact on the general perception of people of color in society. From the literature, it is apparent that dismantling white supremacy requires the active involvement of the implementers (Brackett et al., 2012). However, it is also apparent that there is a discrepancy between the make-up os the student population. Additionally, the implementers lack cultural competence skills to create classrooms that are inclusive and affirming (Glimps & Ford, 2010).

Efforts to dismantle WSC have also been faced with the challenge of educators teaching SEL without the larger sociopolitical context. Seemingly, these implementers avoid discussions on SEL for fear of being victimized. Consequently, some fear addressing issues and subjects of injustice that students of color experience. It is as if teachers and school leaders do not explicit confidence in SEL programs for students of color let alone the impact on students' outcomes (Blewitt, et al., 2020). All said and done about SEL and its benefits in dismantling WSC, it is also necessary to point out that there is always no guarantee that leaners will, in turn, use supremacy skills outside classrooms.

Theoretically, social-emotional learning (SEL) primarily seeks to engender robust and stronger social relations in an otherwise caustic environment that is gripped with injustice, hate, discrimination, and so forth (Jones & Doolittle, 2018). Through it, people, especially the younger population, are equipped with skills that would help them go through the vilest or unsettling experiences in the society while still maintaining sanity and level-headedness (Blewitt, et al., 2020). On the face of it, the concept will pass as one of the best methods of fostering racial relations in society. However, nothing can be further from the truth considering the disturbing history of racial discrimination in the USA. It is quite a giveaway that racism in the country is only borne by specific communities (Hoffman, 2009).

The same is embedded and pruned even by institutions that are ordinarily are supposed to weed it out. The implication herein is that by teaching young people (from discriminated communities) SEL, in hindsight, these young people are being taught to become submissive, tolerant, and always remain obeisant to injustice, hate, and discrimination. Besides, the tensions that are pervasive in the USA are not spawned by the inadequacy of emotional intelligence among people (Picower, 2009). They are effectively caused by the intersection of institutionalized discrimination, rampant inequality, and repressive policies against a certain community. SEL therefore only undergirds white supremacy by creating the impression that racial tensions in the society are caused by a lack of emotional intelligence (Zins, et al, 2004).

How SEL upholds White Supremacy

Though rarely discussed, most of the social-emotional learning curricula - like much of the education curricula in the United States – is based on dominant white, westerns, and individualistic culture. This exclusion likely contributes to a student-teacher disconnect, imposing on students of color a particular set of values beliefs about behavior, conflict resolution relationship-building, and decision making. According to Picower (2009), white pre-service teachers’ life experiences influence the understanding of race and difference. The teachers, almost by default, are buoyed by ideologies that cater to the interests of the White race thereby engendering a somewhat imbalanced perspective of the reality.

Now, by ingraining in young people the skewed ideology that they are supposed to prioritize interpersonal relations over justice and fairness, the SEL effectively gives White supremacy a jerk because black children will fear to call out the injustice meted out on them (Picower, 2009). Equally, the SEL skills relegated to the backburner a very important discussion that reinforces white supremacy, that is; social and economic freedom. By always ascribing racial tensions to the emotional intelligence, young black people (who are at the socio-economic margins of the society) will still remain trapped in the same place because they will focus on building good racial relations instead of advocating for equity (Gli...