Negotiating White Science in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse United States

The racial and ethnic makeup of the United States is in constant flux and is expected to experience substantial increases in racial and ethnic diversity over the next four decades. The problem the American educational system faces is attempting to problematize race/racism in its educational system and creating a system to counteract educational impartialities present for children of color. The disparity we face grows as teacher education programs graduate primarily White female teacher candidates, who express trepidations teaching students of color. In this article, we explore specific influences, confines, and conflicts that exist in urban schools, as a starting point to converse about the issues of race in science education and establish a strong theoretical rationale for the continued investigation of a race-based analysis of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP). Finally, we propose a more inclusive model for teacher preparation programs that embrace and encourage critical conversations about race.