ABSTRACT
Color-blind teaching denied the unique needs of Black and Brown children, affirming the “melting pot” image of American society. When working with students of color, all teachers hold positions of power and need to think about issues of racism regardless of their own racial/ethnic background. From the 1900s to the Civil Rights Movement, the approach to race in the public schools went through three transformations: 'race as a nation, race as color, and race as culture'. Zoe Burkholder’s compelling book, Color in The Classroom: How American Schools Taught Race, 1900-1954, chronicles the long history of race and education in America. The Civil Rights Movement in 1954-1968 quickly brought race to the forefront of public scrutiny as Blacks demanded equity and equality of privileges to become fully sanctioned citizens of the United States. To prepare teachers for meeting the needs of students of color, many college/university teacher education programs are taking a more pro-active role.
