Summary

Anti-Black racism in the United States of America is pervasive and dangerous and has historically informed institutional structures, policies, and interpersonal relations, leading to several adverse outcomes in the Black community. Unfortunately, the social work field has been involved in perpetuating Anti-Black racism by supporting and engaging in harmful policies and practices. To effect meaningful change and prevent harming clients, social workers must understand positionality, power, privilege, and oppression and how it impacts their practice and intervention. CSWE suggests that for this to be possible, educational institutions must provide students with opportunities to explore the critical problems of anti-racism and understand how racism and oppression shape human experiences (CSWE, 2022). Howard University’s School of Social Work has long encouraged students to critically explore the impact of oppressive systems and structures on marginalized communities by applying the Black Perspective. The Black Perspective, a philosophical stance that serves as both a framework for curriculum development and “a lens through which Black life and experiences can be viewed and understood” (Gourdine & Brown, p. 76), allows for a more comprehensive and responsive underpinning for the analysis of societal circumstances, specifically for what it means to be Black in America. This workshop will highlight the benefits of incorporating the Black perspective into curriculum development and practice. Presenters will explain how the Black perspective has been incorporated into foundational social work courses and practices. Then, participants will apply the Black perspective to case studies. To promote a practice of making meaning of their learning, presenters will engage the audience in critical reflection on how to use the material in their practice.  By implementing HUSSW’s Black Perspective into the social work education curriculum, students can critically analyze issues of oppression and discrimination from a cultural lens, which questions Anti-Blackness in both the curriculum and profession.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Black perspective, power, oppression, Anti-Blackness, marginalized communities