“Teaching in a War Zone”: A Collective Reflection on Learning from a Diversity Course in Contentious Times

Diversity courses in teacher education often become sites of conflict and contestation. Numerous proposals have been put forward on how to address these conflicts and contestations through pedagogical interventions and teaching innovations. However, such proposals rarely take into account the impact of broader sociopolitical forces on classroom interactions and learning. In this collective reflection, we document our experiences of navigating a diversity course in highly contentious times when anti-critical race theory campaigns resulted in widespread bans on the teaching of “divisive concepts.” We explore critical incidents and challenging situations to capture the erosion of civility and engagement with evidence. In the context of society-wide attacks on truth, we call on educators, researchers, and advocates to raise their voices in public and political arenas to sustain democracy