RaceTalk Services
We offer evidence-based workshops, lectures, coaching, and continued learning sessions to build capacity for antiracist organizational climates, increase racial literacy, and improve cross-racial communication skills.
Workshops
We offer several workshops aimed at building capacity for engaging in cross-racial dialogues and cultivating inclusive and antiracist climates for racially minoritized groups.
RaceTalk Skills for
Cross-Racial
Communication
Interested in acquiring the skills, tools and strategies that will boost your confidence and ability to engage effectively in cross-racial dialogues? Then this workshop is for you. We draw on the sociological literature to help participants understand how structural racism shapes and informs “racetalk” across social groups. By the end of the workshop participants acquire a framework for identifying common obstacles to cross-racial dialogues about race/ism, as well as specific tools and strategies based on empirically-based best practices and years of practical experience for addressing those obstacles. This workshop will benefit any individual who wishes to improve their racetalk skills and more effectively communicate, interact, and build trust across racial lines. This workshop can be done all in one day or over two, 2.5 hour sessions.
Teaching RaceTalk as a Skill
This workshop is designed for professors who seek to develop the racetalk skills of their students and who wish to acquire strategies to support all students in engaging in cross-racial dialogues. In order to proactively address students’ resistance to conversations about race/ism in the classroom, professors are encouraged to do a one-hour session at the beginning of the semester that establishes the classroom as a “brave” space by reframing conversations about race/ism in ways that encourages students to engage in cross-racial dialogues despite feelings of discomfort. Faculty will build, in real time, their own "racetalk as a skill" lesson plan, personalized to reflect their own authentic voice, positionality, and institutional context. This workshop can be done all in one day or over two, 2.5 hour sessions.
Mentoring and the Hidden Curriculum
We offer two complementary, yet distinct workshops on this topic--one for mentors and one for mentees. These mentoring workshops draw on empirical literature in order to better understand the distinctive challenges that underrepresented scholars experience in navigating higher education institutions and organizations. Mentor workshops provide practical tools and strategies for building their capacity to mentor through an antiracist lens, whereas the workshop for underrepresented scholars focuses on building their self-advocacy skills. These workshops are customizable for a variety industries.
The First Day of Class
This workshop focuses on how to lay the foundation for an inclusive and antiracist classroom and how to use the first day of class to establish a framework for antiracist pedagogy and expectations, regardless of discipline. Faculty will learn ways to use the first day of class to build community and trust and the importance of addressing one's positionality. The workshop also covers how building trust and community from the first day benefits not only students with marginalized identities, but faculty from marginalized communities as well.
Networking Strategies
For most first-generation scholars, networking is an important part of advancing our careers. Yet very few of us had someone who taught or role-modeled for us how to network effectively. In this workshop, you'll learn why it's important for first-gen scholars to have specific networking goals, ways to reframe the definition of networking, and tangible strategies that can be implemented right away.
Keynotes and Discussions
Keynotes and discussions reflect Dr. Richards' expertise as a race and education scholar, as well as her years of experience as a professor, researcher, and publicly engaged scholar.
Keynote topics include: Systemic Racism and Anti-Blackness, Student Evaluations, Networking for First-Generation Scholars, and more.
Dr. Richards can provide small group Q&A sessions or facilitate small group breakout/discussion sessions after the lecture to deepen participants' knowledge and understanding of the topic.
Coaching and Continued Learning Sessions
Research suggests that the success of workshops depends on the ability of participants to practice research-based skills, getting genuine follow-up and coaching on how to adapt strategies to unique situations. Our Coaching and continued learning sessions are designed to support the implementation of racetalk tools and strategies disseminated in our workshops.
Coaching
Coaching packages are available to former workshop attendees who would like additional support as they begin to implement “RaceTalk” strategies. These virtual small learning communities provide a mechanism for shared accountability, a space for debriefing and collaborative problem-solving of issues that arise during the early stages of implementing RaceTalk tools.
Continued Learning Sessions
These sessions are an opportunity to provide follow-up for workshop participants, dig deeper into specific topics, and answer questions that come up for them when implementing workshop strategies.
Need expert advice?
Book a one-time expert advice consultation with Dr. Richards.