Guidelines for choosing trainers
to address cultural diversity, racism and issues of equity
By Gail Golden


1. The training team should be diverse, multicultural and multiracial. One person cannot address all issues.

2. The trainer should have a power analysis. This means that they need to go beyond speaking about individual bias and prejudice based on skin color to a deeper analysis of how those who hold conscious or unconscious beliefs, prejudice and bias based on skin color also hold power and therefore control access to power through organizations and institutions.

3. The trainers must emphasize systemic, organization and institutional manifestations of inequity rather than emphasizing bias manifested in interpersonal relationships.

4. The trainers must teach to the political, economic, and social constructs that intentionally, consciously or unconsciously, perpetuate inequity in the educational system.

5. In addition to a theoretical understanding, the trainers should have an orientation to accountability through working directly with community stakeholders in addressing these important issues.

6. The trainers should teach extensively to the phenomenon of dominant culture and its manifestations in organizations.

7. The trainers should have a history of providing successful trainings to organizations and institutions around systemic change regarding equity.