Mica Pollock, an anthropologist of education, studies how youth and adults struggle daily to discuss and address issues of racial difference, discrimination, and fairness in school and community settings. Her first book, Colormute: Race Talk Dilemmas in an American School explores the question: when it is helpful, and when is it harmful, to talk about racial patterns in schools? Her new book, Because of Race: How Americans Debate Harm and Opportunity in Our Schools, builds on her experience working in the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, where she investigated and addressed claims of discrimination in schools. Because of Race explores ongoing American arguments over opportunity denials experienced by students and families of color in educational settings. Pollock is also editor of a new book for educators, Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real about Race in School, and she is spearheading The Project on the Preparation of Educators for Diversity, a new national research effort examining efforts to prepare and assist teachers to serve diverse populations.
