(De)Centering Whiteness through community dialogues about safety problems and solutions

Abstract

What happens to problem-solution pathways when racism is prominent in a public policy issue and a group of stakeholders—the majority of whom are White—dialogue about desired policy changes? I examine this question through a case study of community dialogues about policing, safety, race, and White privilege after Philando Castile was killed by a police officer. Through longitudinal, ethnographic analysis, I trace how a series of deliberative dialogues made White complicity in racism visible, leading to problem-solution pathways expanding beyond an initial focus on policing reform to also incorporate White residents' making deeper commitments to anti-racism and inclusion. This shift occurred through the sequencing of topics, slowing down the pace of problem definition, building relationships, dialogue norms and facilitation methodologies, and BIPOC participants' labor. I conclude with suggestions for more constructive democratic processes to support anti-racist governance.