A White Teacher Talks about Race

Julie Landsman creates words for what most of us think and feel. As an educator of educators, this book was hugely helpful in giving me words to help teachers see the importance of teaching a multicultural perspective in the classroom.

I found this book to be very practical, open, insightful, but above all, honest. It was a hard first semester of Education classes for me, however, after reading this assigned book, I felt not so much inspired, but informed. There are students and situations Mrs. Landsman speaks of that education classes and textbooks can't show or teach you. There are experiences and emotions she shares that really tie the book together. Just because you aren't a teacher--or aren't just yet--for me, I personally felt as if I learned more just by considering myself: my own views, my own understanding, and especially just how many roles a teacher can play and what a significance each role holds. My best suggestion for this book: while reading, keep an open mind. You may be surprised at what you find within yourself.

This book is a must read for all teachers. As an African American teacher, I was impressed with her clear understanding of how she fits into the big picture. With the many students of color that are going through the K-12 system, teachers often are not forced to look at race issues. She avoides many of the common cliches, but is very direct in her view. She is also hopeful for the future, despite any negative experience that she may have had with a person of color. If you are a teacher in an area where you have even one student of color, READ THIS BOOK. If you have no students of color, READ THIS BOOK.

I read this book in one sitting, and was immediately drawn to the fluidity of Landsman's writing as well as her disarming honesty. She is aware of her responsibilities as author, narrator, and "character" in her story, and she uses her words and observations wisely. The students you meet within this book are vividly drawn and any reader, no matter their background, will be able to identify in some manner with the complex layers of identity each one has. Read this book not to discover the "answer" to race relations in the United States, but to peel back your own layers and uncover what has been constructed and what is real.

This is a raw and heartfelt book that turns over some rocks en route to the truth. This tells the story of a white teacher, someone who grew up with certain priveleges, and how this person is forever linked to the world of a black man in America. Heartfelt stories of racism, prejudice, and also hopeful, courageous and positive stories as so many of these young blacks overcome these obstacles and lead productive lives. This is a tremendous book for our time that deals with race and especially important to those of us who may not understand or appreciate how the average black person in America lives and what he/she is forced to go through in America.