Sterling, VA -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/12/2013 -- White teachers today are in classrooms where only 20% of their students look like them. They are no longer dealing with the “familiar” student and “supportive” parent. Over the years the role of teachers has changed dramatically however, for White teachers, it just got real.

In the book White Women Getting Real About Race, Judith James and Nancy Peterson present the stories of twelve White teachers who asked themselves “Will my well-being and sense of self be at risk if I tell this story?” Ranging from discussions of racism, White Privilege, the need for approval and fear of being a racist, these are not stories like the heroic feats of Erin Gruwell and LouAnne Johnson. These are stories of everyday White women who had questions, made mistakes and confronted their own ignorance.

Many White teachers find the discussion of race uncomfortable for fear of making the wrong assumption, making a mistake or saying something wrong. Here, White women overcome that fear and open up about their challenges as teachers, and in the process encourage others to do the same. By admitting their cultural mistakes, the women in this book hope their stories will resonate with readers, help them feel less alone and give them courage to begin open and honest dialogue around race.

For more information or a review copy of White Women Getting Real About Race, please contact Shaqunia Clark at the below address. Also, the editors are available for interviews. If interested, again, please contact Shaqunia Clark.

White Women Getting Real About Race
Their Stories About What They Learned Teaching in Diverse Classrooms
Edited by Judith James and Nancy Peterson
208 pp., 6” x 9”, February 2013
Paper, 978 1 579224 58 5, $24.95
Cloth, 978 1 579224 57 8, $85.00