The Emperor Has No Clothes: Teaching About Race and Racism to People Who Don’t Want to Know
is designed to offer both practical and theoretical grounding for leaders and teachers interested in
effectively addressing racism as well as other oppressive constructs. The dissertation offers an
overview of the role of western culture in maintaining systems of institutional and cultural
oppression related to race, class, gender, and sexuality. The dynamics of cultural shift are
explored; scientific, spiritual, and cultural theories about cultural transformation are investigated,
as are historical periods of dynamic cultural change. The psycho/social history of resistance is
examined, and successful strategies for addressing resistance, denial, and fear in the classroom are
offered. Using theory, storytelling, and history, effective strategies for teaching about dominance,
privilege, internalization are covered as is the importance of working with students to apply
theory and engage in the collective task of creating a more just world
