Raising the Voice: Teaching Through a Multicultural Lens

Questions pertaining to racial and cultural identification are salient among social work educators in their role as teachers in the classroom. In the context of the 21st century, as an increasing number of people cannot be classified by race, an awareness of the complexities of cultural and racial identity is more important than ever. For social work pedagogy there is a need for critical reflection, increased awareness, sensitivity to multiculturalism, and cultural diversity. As social work educators, it is crucial for us to teach through the lens of multiculturalism and create spaces for voices of students who belie traditional racial and ethnic categories. This article elevates the voices of Black ethnic women, underscoring the complexity of identity construction within the United States. Qualitative interviews explore the dynamic social constructions of identification for 10 women who identify as Black and ethnic, as one example of a nuanced differentiation of race and culture. This article is a discussion of research findings and includes implications for teaching social work practice that broaden our range of understanding and highlight representations of women with marginal identities, thus furthering our social justice mission.