Embodying Social Work's Commitment to Anti-Racism: Developing Anti-Racist Practice Competencies in Social Work Education and Beyond

Background and Purpose:
In recent years, an emerging focus on racial justice and anti-racist knowledge and practice in social work education has highlighted the vital importance of students’ preparation and background on these areas of social concern. White students often have difficulty engaging in discussions around race in higher education, leading to white students remaining silent, experiencing strong emotional resistance to learning about race, or feeling defensive. Students of color (SOC) in social work commonly identify how these types of interactions with white students trigger their previous experiences with bias and discrimination. As social work educators we want to provide sustained opportunities for students to build and to embody anti-racist practices as well as expand practice toolkits for acting against racism. We, therefore, sought to address the following research question: What specific knowledge, skills, and competencies related to anti-racism and white supremacy do social work students require to become practitioners who will engage in actionable and embodied behaviors to address racism in their personal and professional roles and functions?

Methods:
In phase 1 of our study we conducted 11 focus groups with 41 social work students (both SOC and white students) at a large urban university to better understand their experiences with anti-racism education within their social work program. During phase 2 we coded and analyzed the focus group data. In phases 3 and 4, we offered an experience in which 20 white students engaged in a 10 week elective in which they practiced building their anti-racist skills. The students completed the Anti-Racist Behavioral Inventory (ARBI), the white fragility scale (WFS), and an exploratory white body supremacy questionnaire before, immediately after, and 10 months later.

Results:
Four major themes were observed from the focus groups. These themes included: 1) the disconnection between anti-racist theory and practice in social work education; 2) the difficulty white students have creating trust and relationships with other white students as well as SOC; 3) the difficulties SOC experience with anti-racist education in the classroom and practicum; 4) the challenges SOC navigate in a required social justice and diversity course. After the elective experience, students were more likely to confront racist jokes and negative racial stereotypes, notice the “charge” of race in their bodies, take accountability and apologize when making mistakes, and develop relationships with others that were less extractive and transactional.

Conclusions and Implications:
Study results indicate that white students need more opportunities to develop anti-racist skills in social work education that focuses on learning embodied skills (e.g. noticing the charge of race in their bodies, slowing down, identifying shame and guilt, developing mutual relationships) rather than knowledge or intellect. The NASW Code of Ethics and the CSWE include racial justice among the core tenets of ethical social work practice. Since no specific anti-racist competencies for students have emerged from these tenets yet, the current study could be an opportunity to begin piloting some of these actionable behaviors as a step towards fulfilling social work’s grand challenge to eliminate racism.