The power of a picture: Beginning the race dialogue in teacher educator prep with a cartoon

Abstract

Due to the endemic nature of racism in society, there is a need for open discussions on race and racism in teacher education as well as more support, research, and approaches to having challenging conversations on race and racism. As a teacher educator, I use a multimodal curriculum and visual methods in preparing future teacher educators (i.e., doctoral students) and supporting their development of critical racial consciousness. In this study, I highlight one visual artifact, a cartoon, as a pedagogical approach for initiating conversations about race. Using cartoons is a suitable method for initiating difficult discussions on race, ultimately leading to critical reflections and the development of racial literacy.