Quotes from Derald Wing Sue

race talk between several individuals does not occur in isolation from other observers or students; although other participants may not have actively engaged in the dialogue, they are usually vicariously involved. By shutting down the communication between two individuals, it shuts down the entire group process.

Third, many describe an emotional exhaustion of having to constantly deal with a never-ending onslaught of microaggressions and being placed in a no-win, damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don't situation.

When trainees feel accused of being biased, they engage in self-protective behavior in the form of righteous indignation or innocent victimhood.

In order to deflect the perceived criticism, trainees may directly or indirectly attack the content of the communication (message) and/or the credibility of the communicator. When confronted with a defensive challenge by trainees, facilitators of race talk may also become defensive when they find that their message is being invalidated or that their credibility is being assailed.

40% of the Native American population may be of another race (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005),

Racial dialogues are microcosms of race relations in the United States; reenact the biases, prejudices, and stereotypes of the wider society; invalidate and punish dissenting voices; and force compliance on groups of color.

For White Americans, successful racial dialogues allow them to grasp the significance of what it means to be White, and how Whiteness with its accompanying invisible norms and standards are entrenched into their everyday lives. This racial awakening and the development of a nonracist identity is intimately linked to racial identity development (Helms, 1990, 1995; Sue, 1995, 2013; Tatum, 1992, 1997).

what race talk is likely to evoke in well-intentioned White Americans: denial and strong emotions such as fear, guilt, confusion, and helplessness.

attempting to appear nonprejudiced through silence, avoidance, and lack of disclosure may actually make someone appear more biased because great energy is expended to conceal thoughts and feelings, thereby making the person appear less friendly or involved (Apfelbaum, Sommers, & Norton, 2008; Sue, 2010).

societal bias also impacts the standard of living by creating disparities in education, employment, and health care (J. M. Jones, 1997; Sue, 2010). Although people of color see the election of Barack Obama as a major milestone in the history of the United States, their lived realities continue to indicate that racism, bias, and discrimination are alive as well. It frustrates them that their White brothers and sisters are unable to see the world through realistic lenses.

claims of reverse racism especially on topics of affirmative action allow majority group members (Whites) to turn the tables on their accusers by implying they are now the ones being discriminated against. Although this flies in the face of all economic, educational, and employment data (APA Presidential Task Force, 2012; J. M. Jones, 1997), the focus of the debate now becomes one of portraying White Americans as the victims.

allegations of playing the race card and the pressures of political correctness are games of verbal jujitsu used by dominant group members to portray and redefine White talk as the silenced, oppressed, and dissenting voice, while back talk is portrayed as the untouchable incorrect stance that needs to be challenged.

If indeed, he or she has unwittingly engaged in racist behaviors and has unknowingly allowed systems of injustice to flourish, the pain and suffering inflicted upon people of color is partly due to his or her own complicity in a racist system. This proves to be a frightening and uncomfortable realization for many White Americans. Blinders of naïveté, innocence, and obliviousness become removed when awareness of racism and its dynamics increases.

four major fear categories experienced by White Americans when race talk occurs: (1) fear of appearing racist, (2) fear of realizing their racism, (3) fear of confronting White privilege, and (4) fear of taking personal responsibility to end racism.