Fern L. Johnson's guest appearances

Fern L. Johnson

KUCI: Get the Funk Out

Sylvia & Me

Annie Hartnett

Maggie Smith

Sharon G. Flake

Olivia Campbell

Alka Joshi

Jenny LeCoat

Pam Jenoff

Ariana Neumann

Kate Swenson

Dorothy Wickenden

Marlene G. Fine

Robin Benoit

Harriet Shugarman

Shamini Jain

Mark Borg

OwlTail

‘Let’s Talk Race: A Guide for White People'Fern L. Johnson, PhD and Marlene G. Fine are the co-authors of ‘Let’s Talk Race.’ Both are specialists in race relations, ethnicity and gender in discourse. And 30 years ago a gay couple was not allowed to marry. Nor were they allowed to adopt. Wanting a family, Fran and Marlene started independently researching adoption avenues. There were a variety of restrictions that they would not be able to overcome.Both Fern and Marlene thought they knew a lot about race. They made the decision to learn how to raise their sons and give them a healthy racial identity, and prepare them for life in a White world.  And so they talked to all of their Black friends and colleagues to educate themselves as much as possible.Fern L. Johnson, PhD., grew up in Minnesota. She focuses on race, ethnicity, and gender in discourse.  Fern is currently Senior Research Scholar and Professor Emerita of English at Clark University (Worcester, Massachusetts). In addition to her position as Professor of English at Clark, she directed the interdisciplinary Communication and Culture Program. Earlier in her career, Fern was a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. She received her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and her M.A. degree from Northwestern University.Marlene G. Fine, PhD, grew up in Belmar, New Jersey, a small resort community on the New Jersey shore.  Marlene is Professor Emerita at Simmons University, specializing in cultural diversity, leadership, and dialogue. She authored Building Successful Multicultural Organizations, and her articles appear in a broad range of journals. She is a seasoned speaker and workshop facilitator. Marlene co-authored, with Fern Johnson, The Interracial Adoption Option, which draws on their experience as white parents of African American sons.A very insightful and real conversation with Fern &amp; Marlene:The decision to adoptA gay couple trying to adoptWhy a Black childIdentifying different needsPerceptions and the lack of knowledgePrivilege isn’t what you think it isThe conversation is getting difficult – why it needs to continuePrompts and let’s talk race

‘Let’s Talk Race: A Guide for White People' Fern L. Johnson, PhD and Marlene G. Fine are the co-authors of ‘Let’s Talk Race.’ Both are specialists in race relations, ethnicity and gender in discourse. And 30 years ago a gay couple was not allowed to marry. Nor were they allowed to adopt. Wanting a family, Fran and Marlene started independently researching adoption avenues. There were a variety of restrictions that they would not be able to overcome. Both Fern and Marlene thought they knew a lot about race. They made the decision to learn how to raise their sons and give them a healthy racial identity, and prepare them for life in a White world.  And so they talked to all of their Black friends and colleagues to educate themselves as much as possible. Fern L. Johnson, PhD., grew up in Minnesota. She focuses on race, ethnicity, and gender in discourse.  Fern is currently Senior Research Scholar and Professor Emerita of English at Clark University (Worcester, Massachusetts). In addition to her position as Professor of English at Clark, she directed the interdisciplinary Communication and Culture Program. Earlier in her career, Fern was a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. She received her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and her M.A. degree from Northwestern University. Marlene G. Fine, PhD, grew up in Belmar, New Jersey, a small resort community on the New Jersey shore.  Marlene is Professor Emerita at Simmons University, specializing in cultural diversity, leadership, and dialogue. She authored Building Successful Multicultural Organizations, and her articles appear in a broad range of journals. She is a seasoned speaker and workshop facilitator. Marlene co-authored, with Fern Johnson, The Interracial Adoption Option, which draws on their experience as white parents of African American sons. A very insightful and real conversation with Fern &amp; Marlene: The decision to adopt A gay couple trying to adopt Why a Black child Identifying different needs Perceptions and the lack of knowledge Privilege isn’t what you think it is The conversation is getting difficult – why it needs to continue Prompts and let’s talk race

Fern L. Johnson & Marlene G. Fine: Co-Authors ‘Let’s Talk Race’

Let's Talk Race pulls no punches as it examines why white people struggle to talk about race, why we need to talk about race, and what obstacles preclude conversations that promote racial understanding and social action for racial equity.Written by two specialists in race relations and parents of two adopted African American sons, the book provides unique insights and practical guidance richly illustrated with personal examples, anecdotes, and prompts for personal reflection and conversations about race.Coverage includes:Seeing the varied forms of racismHow we normalize and privilege whitenessEssential and often unknown elements of Black history that inform the presentRacial disparities in education, health, criminal justice, and wealthUnderstanding racially linked cultural differencesHow to find conversational partners and create safe spaces for conversationsConversational do's and don'ts.Let's Talk Race is for all white people who want to face the challenges of talking about race and work towards equality.Fern L. Johnson, PhD, is Senior Research Scholar and Professor Emerita at Clark University, specializing in race, culture, and language. Her publications include Speaking Culturally and Imaging in Advertising, and many journal articles. Fern co-authored, with Marlene Fine, The Interracial Adoption Option, which draws on their experience as white parents of African American sonMarlene G. Fine, PhD, is Professor Emerita at Simmons University, specializing in cultural diversity, leadership, and dialogue. She authored Building Successful Multicultural Organizations, and her articles appear in a broad range of journals. She is a seasoned speaker and workshop facilitator. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts.

Let's Talk Race pulls no punches as it examines why white people struggle to talk about race, why we need to talk about race, and what obstacles preclude conversations that promote racial understanding and social action for racial equity. Written by two specialists in race relations and parents of two adopted African American sons, the book provides unique insights and practical guidance richly illustrated with personal examples, anecdotes, and prompts for personal reflection and conversations about race. Coverage includes: Seeing the varied forms of racism How we normalize and privilege whiteness Essential and often unknown elements of Black history that inform the present Racial disparities in education, health, criminal justice, and wealth Understanding racially linked cultural differences How to find conversational partners and create safe spaces for conversations Conversational do's and don'ts. Let's Talk Race is for all white people who want to face the challenges of talking about race and work towards equality. Fern L. Johnson, PhD, is Senior Research Scholar and Professor Emerita at Clark University, specializing in race, culture, and language. Her publications include Speaking Culturally and Imaging in Advertising, and many journal articles. Fern co-authored, with Marlene Fine, The Interracial Adoption Option, which draws on their experience as white parents of African American son Marlene G. Fine, PhD, is Professor Emerita at Simmons University, specializing in cultural diversity, leadership, and dialogue. She authored Building Successful Multicultural Organizations, and her articles appear in a broad range of journals. She is a seasoned speaker and workshop facilitator. She lives near Boston, Massachusetts.

Let’s Talk Race A Guide for White People By Fern L. Johnson and Marlene G. Fine