'Who am I to teach about racism' Experiences of white teachers teaching about racism in ‘Black’ and white primary schools in the Netherlands

This study explores how white primary school teachers in the Netherlands experience teaching about racism in ‘Black’ and white primary schools and whether these experiences differ. Based on ten semi-structured interviews, two significant differences have been found. Teachers in Black schools felt a stronger responsibility and importance to address racism and were more aware of their own racial identity. Overall, teachers’ experiences reflected broader color-blind frames and the Dutch self-image, often, minimizing or avoiding racism and using the cultural rhetorics in order to deny its presence in school. Improving education for children begins with white teachers understanding and critically examining their own whiteness.