Today鈥檚 guest blogger is Jamil Zaki, an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University and the author of
How can I talk with students about privilege and the fight for racial justice?
A few weeks ago, my 4-year-old daughter and I made a 鈥淏lack Lives Matter鈥� poster to hang in our window. As we painted, we talked about race, fairness, and equality. These were not new topics to us, but as a parent, I鈥檝e chosen when and how she learns about racial injustice鈥攁 privilege not everyone has.
Since the killing of George Floyd, countless people have had their eyes opened in new ways to longstanding anti-Black violence in the U.S. This is a powerful movement, but why didn鈥檛 it arrive earlier, and how do we keep its momentum going?
One answer to both of these questions comes from the science of empathy鈥攐ur ability to share and understand others鈥� feelings. We often assume that empathy is a trait: You either have it or you don鈥檛. But it turns out, empathy is more like a skill, which you can work on the way you might build a muscle. This is great news in that the right habits are like an 鈥溾�� that any of us can use to improve.
But there鈥檚 a dark side. In particular, status and privilege tend to , and research shows that privileged people struggle to understand others鈥� experiences. Ironically, though they often have the power to help many people, they鈥檙e less likely to do so
Thankfully, this atrophy is not inevitable. When privileged people intentionally practice seeing others鈥� point of view, their empathy increases, as does their .
Talking about privilege鈥攊n schools or anywhere else鈥攃an feel uncomfortable. It doesn鈥檛 have to. One way to shift these conversations is to describe them as opportunities for growth that will expand everyone鈥檚 empathy and understanding.
How do we help the empathic momentum of this moment last? One key is to ensure that our curricula feature diverse voices鈥攂oth historical figures and characters in fictional stories. Hearing the perspective of traditionally marginalized groups can increase privileged people鈥檚 empathy, as can engaging with narrative arts such as novels and plays. A mix of the two can give all students the consistent 鈥渞eps鈥� it takes to not only feel, but keep, a wide-open empathic perspective.
Next week: How to build your own empathy
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