Community Colleges, the Racialized Climate, and Engaging Diverse Views Through Intergroup Dialogue

Following the 2008 election of President Barack Obama, the United States’ first Black president, many questioned whether we entered a post-racial society (Bonilla-Silva, 2015; Hurtado, Alvarado, & Guillermo-Wann, 2015). However, the murder of Trayvon Martin on February 12, 2012, placed a spotlight on salience of race, racial inequality, and racism. A national conversation ensued as President Obama expressed his concern and how it resonated with him, stating, “If I had a son he’d look like Trayvon; when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids.” Acts of violence and police brutality resulting in the deaths of unarmed people of color are a national issue, increasingly commonplace, and not isolated events, as evident in the deaths of Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Eric Gardner, Sandra Bland, and countless others. Read more here.