Facing the Challenge of Racism and Race Relations: The Busy Citizen's Discussion Guide. 3rd Edition

This discussion guide is designed to help students engage in the kind of dialogue about racism and race relations that can make a difference in their community. In study circles (small-group, democratic, participatory discussions), students have the chance to get to know one another, consider different points of view, explore disagreements, and discover common ground. In these community-wide study circle programs, in every region of the country, study circle organizers are showing the power of combining dialogue and action. People from all races and ethnicities are working together to make strides on difficult race-related issues, such as, bias crime, community-police relations, race relations among young people, diversity issues, and connecting citizens to governance. Discussion materials are: (1) "Race relations and racism: Experiences, perceptions, and beliefs"; (2) "Dealing with race: What is the nature of the problem?"; (3) "What should we do to make progress on race relations?"; (4) "What kinds of public policies will help us deal with race relations?"; and (5) "How can we move from words to action in our community?" Additional sections address how to use this guide. This discussion guide, used primarily for community study groups, could be used in the secondary social studies classroom to initiate discussions on the history of racism, conflict resolution, and citizen participation in the community. (BT)