The color brave approach is one of the 4 identified approaches that foster inclusion and enhance success in education. This is what we mean with a color brave approach.įrom the #Multinclude analysis of over 70 educational cases from all over the world, we learned that there are very interesting good examples of color brave programs to learn from. We have to acknowledge and know the unique challenges for specific groups of students, because context matters. Because of that, an emphasis on creating truly equal opportunities is needed to acknowledge the reality of structural and institutional inequities and the diversity of contexts. Support systems that are built from the acknowledgement of the specific barriers that these students are facing.įor example, specific programs for students of color that provide the support that resonates to their needs. Because of that, it is necessary to develop projects and programs with an intentional focus and aim that foster access through support. Curricula, educational practices and facilities are (mostly) not inclusive enough for all students. In relation to education, just providing access is not enough. It is exactly this that distinguish institutional racism from individual racism.ĭue to this reality, fostering equal rights in society is not enough. It is embedded within systems like the labor market, housing markets, justice systems and educational systems. Communities of color are structurally ignored, excluded or discriminated in policies from the police and governments. We see a lack of representation of the diversity of society in institutions like politics, the media and also in education. The persistent inequities of that system, a system which benefits white people and widely excludes people of color, is still a reality. In many western and European countries, communities of color are still and have been historically and systematically marginalized due to unequal distributions of power, resources and therefore opportunities in society. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, people of color globally spoke up about institutional racism and shared their experiences and reflections. Also, not everyone automatically feels a sense of belonging in educational contexts. Not everyone has the same level of support, nor the required social capital. Because not everyone has the same opportunities given their upbringing or background. In the context of (higher) education, ECHO, Center for Diversity Policy, works with different stakeholders to contribute to equity and inclusion by increasing opportunities, participation and sense of belonging for all students, with a specific focus on students of color. Equality, the focus on equal rights, is a means to achieve equity, providing equal opportunities. In this blog I want to highlight an alternative approach to centralizing equity in education, by introducing a color brave approach instead of a color-blind approach. Interestingly, exactly statements like this have become more widely contested since the global surge of protests against institutional racism. In this reasoning, it is considered unethical or unjust to treat each other differently. This colorblind perspective, meant to emphasize the importance of equality, centralizes equal rights for everyone. Although this statement is often made with the best intentions, it is in fact not acknowledging a person’s ethnic and cultural identity. The statement “I don’t see color, because everyone is equal to me” is often heard in discussions regarding diversity and inclusion in education.