Even the Janitor Is White: Educating for Cultural Diversity in Small Colleges and Universities

Even the Janitor Is White addresses challenges faced by teacher educators who are committed to diversity education. The chapters in this volume invite readers to reflect on their own practice as teacher educators as well as consider ways in which that practice might be improved.

More than forty percent of students in U.S. schools are of non-White ethnicity, yet the majority of teachers are White and middle class. Some teacher education students are resistant to conversations about race or ethnicity in the college classroom, while teacher educators may avoid initiating dialogues about race or ethnicity. U.S. teacher education programs, however, are charged with preparing culturally competent teachers. Educational experts agree teacher educators must direct special attention toward consciousness-raising activities and instructional strategies to increase White educators’ awareness of diverse populations, challenge stereotypes, and facilitate interactions between and among ethnic groups. Teacher education programs, pre-service teachers, and others interested in issues of diversity will benefit from this collection of classroom-tested strategies for increasing educators’ awareness about diversity.