Local Author Janis Washington White Discusses Recognizing and Erasing Biases in Our School Classrooms

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — West Cape May native, author, public speaker and cultural diversity specialist Janis Washington White was actually planning on writing a book about her family’s roots. But, when she looked back through her wealth of intimate knowledge from 21 years in education as a counselor, 16 years in corporate America and five as a nonprofit entity’s executive director she came to realize that she had a much different and worthwhile story to tell.

What emerged was her recently-published book, Erasing Bias from the Classroom, which is a guide to fostering positive self-awareness, open dialogue and advocacy for the self and others. Washington White led a presentation that dove deep into the psychological effects of stress and anxiety on students while urging action from educators and policymakers before nearly 40 guests in the lecture hall at Atlantic Cape Community College’s Cape May County campus on February 27.

This free and open-to-the-public event was sponsored by the Coalition for a Safe Community, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Cape Assist and Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro, Inc.

After having been retired from education for about a year, Washington White was faced with a question during a conversation that jogged her memory and rekindled numerous moments that occurred throughout her 21-year counseling career.

“I was asked to come up with one thing, but my mind was flooded with many things and it got to the point where I couldn’t just think of one thing,” admitted Washington White. “I had too many that came back into my memory, so I just said that I’m going to write a book and that is how Erasing Bias from the Classroom was born.”

Washington White wants everyone to realize the inconvenient truth that we all have bias, whether we realize it or not. And it is these conscious and unconscious biases that educators bring into their classrooms day-in and day-out, and others bring with themselves to their jobs, and around their friends and family as well. Acknowledgement is the first step on the path towards reconciliation.

“Especially today, it is so important because it’s for our youth. It’s important for us to be representative of what we want our future to look like,” said Washington White. “We don’t want our kids going around insulting people because that is what they think is the right thing to do. This is just a microcosm of society today. We are all influencers for the future of our society and we have to do better.”

At the end of the day, according to Washington White, it is vital that we all gauge our respective moral compasses, celebrate our diversity as a society, not demean it, and ensure that all of us provide others with fair and equitable treatment, accessibility and belonging.

Visit atlanticcape.edu/capemay for more information on Atlantic Cape’s Cape May County campus.

 About Atlantic Cape Community College

Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, 2022 Achieving the Dream Leader College and Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 33 certificate and professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.