Knowing Ourselves So We May Know Others: Reflections for a White Facilitator of Multicultural Learning

All people have culture. When white educators in multicultural communities acknowledge their culture, they are not denying their white privilege, but rather making room for the realization that their teaching practices and learning environments are imbedded with their own cultural codes and traditions. When these educators claim that they do not have a culture, it hurts everyone and hurts those in their classes who presumably do. In this article, the author explores her own culture and discusses how denying or ignoring her cultural roots would hurt her and those around her who have a different culture.