Course Description
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." - Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr (8/28/1963)
More than 50 years after Dr. King's speech, individuals continue to use his words to justify their claim of being racially colorblind. Racial colorblindness is modern day racism and denies the racial disparities that continue to exist in various systems, including healthcare, education and the criminal justice system. In the helping profession, not only is it unrealistic to be racially colorblind, it is dangerous and does more harm than good. If you don't see my color, you can't see me. And if you can't see me, how can you empathize with my racial experiences, accept my whole being and validate my perspectives?
Target Audience
This course was created for social workers, behavioral health professionals, and other service providers as an opportunity to learn about the ethical implications of being racially colorblind, gain awareness of their duty to act against racism and discrimination, and identify strategies for dismantling racism on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, the reader will be able to do the following:
- Acknowledge racial colorblindness as a racial microaggression that upholds white supremacy.
- Evaluate the ethical implications of being racially colorblind in practice.
- Identify 3 racial disparities that exist and the role of recognizing race in order to advocate and empower clients to fight against inequities.
- Define cultural humility and explore strategies to increase interpersonal and intrapersonal cultural humility to improve rapport building and alleviate further trauma.