Getting race talk right? The non-performativity of politically correct “Right Talk” in German education

White race talk is often angry, anxious, or avoidant; so how do white people who strive to be not-racist try to get it right?

Drawing on a case study from Germany, our recent PhD graduate Dr Sarah Gerwens has published an article in Ethnic and Racial Studies, which is based on her doctoral research at the European Institute. The article shows how anti-racism can become operationalised as (and consequently reduced to) “correct” learning and speaking, which motivates more equitable language use, but ultimately protects white innocence.

Abstract

"Drawing on nine months of fieldwork and 79 interviews in and about German schools, the article examines efforts at ‘Right Talk', from politically correct racial terminology to sensitised self-criticism. Talking right, however, is non-performative: It offers a way to sound not-racist without requiring anti-racist action. To illustrate this, the paper analyses discourses about the German “School[s] without Racism – School[s] with Courage” network and adds a German example to the largely Anglophone literature on race talk, racial literacy, and anti-discrimination in education. Concretely, it shows how anti-racism can become operationalised as (and consequently reduced to) “correct” learning and speaking. As a result, while Right Talk motivates more equitable language use, it ultimately protects white innocence and risks reinforcing what it claims to critique."