ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the concept of nervousness in individual public administrators. Use of strategic colorblindness by public administrators facilitates the unspoken implication that because individuals do not 'see' race, it is not a viable factor to consider in the administration of public services. Individuals who engage in race talk by using an assimilationist or melting pot strategy approach the discussion by seeking to identify a single ideal, homogenous culture. Conversational variability permits individuals to shift their verbal expressions based on context. With an explicit recognition that oppression exists and is carried out through structural, institutional, and social arrangements, the multicultural mosaic strategy emphasizes the interweaving nature of human relationships where both cultural distinctiveness and the need to work across differences is important. Public administrators who utilize this strategy explicitly research and acknowledge the institutional factors that influence current-day public service patterns that differ by race.
