Race talk, conversations about race, racism, and white privilege, have been popularized in empirical literature and in popular press. These difficult dialogues, in alignment with intergroup contact theory, boost participant's critical consciousness, reduce endorsement in prejudicial beliefs, and assist in dispelling racial stereotypes . Despite compelling evidence of benefits, many individuals report race talk as anxiety-provoking, and tend to avoid discussions of race when possible. While the bulk of research and popular press has focused on the reactions of white participants, the present study builds upon this extant literature and exploratory work to further examine and quantify evidence that people of color's level of comfort in race talk is predicated by the race of the other person in the conversation. Utilizing directed content analysis of open-ended survey responses, this project identified key initiators of race talk among a sample (N = 126) of people of color and offered mixed support for hypotheses related to variable levels of comfort in race talk among them. Results are contextualized by critical race theory, intersectional frameworks, and the burgeoning field of intergroup dialogue.

The contemporary United States is at a crossroads with race: some believe achieving political equality rests in the ability to wilfully ignore race, while others assess colorblindness is a racial frame that only serves to prolong and irritate inequalities. Higher ed institutions have become involved in this conversation due to critiques of higher ed devaluing racial minorities both in the curriculum and in hiring practices. As a response, higher ed has promised to restructure their institution with diversity and PoC in mind. This research study seeks to understand if higher ed has maintained this promise. Twelve participants were qualitatively interviewed to assess their satisfaction with higher ed and the curriculum as it pertains to race. It was found that students were generally heavily critical of their education, particularly in the “diversity” claims made by the school. Their narratives additionally highlight the importance of sociological spaces within a neoliberal university.