How To Talk About Race, Using This Online Tool

Race and social injustices can easily be added to a list of topics that are often uncomfortable and sensitive to discuss out loud. 

“We are at a watershed moment, where the response to these issues in our country have been much different than they were in the past.” — Spencer Crew, National Museum of African American History and Culture

With the current climate and socio-political uprising, the race conversation is growing to be one that can no longer be ignored. In fact, avenues of opportunity to engage and broaden the conversation are happening across cultural institutions. 

Listen: Spencer Crew discusses the current social and political state of society and the design of NMAAHC’s ‘Talking About Race’ portal.

To further ease the discomfort, the National Museum of African American History & Culture, located in Washington D.C., launched an online resource, aptly titled, ‘Talking About Race.’

The tool is designed to be an entry point, with an emphasis on adults who work with children. It’s broken into eight foundational topics that address matters spanning from anti-racism to breaking down social identities and systems of oppression. 

Watch: The Origin of Race in the USA

“The issue of race needs to become much more prominent as a topic of discussion to the nation,” says Spencer Crew, interim director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Our portal provides tools and guidelines to really help facilitate that conversation and to make it a fruitful and valuable conversation where one can learn, grow and apply what they’ve learned in their lives on a regular basis.” 

Crew adds, “We are at a watershed moment, where the response to these issues in our country have been much different than they were in the past.​ What we need to see is, where do we go from here and how do we use this moment in a way that benefits all of us going forward.”