Page 379 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6

always have great teeth and they look better than their parents, and I kept thinking, “where

are you going with this?” I was never quite sure what his credentials were and why he was

asserting this. I finally thought that it was just somehow due to his age. I was reluctant to

take him on because of his age. I thought it was better to let it go. In the very first session

I thought there was some tension.” (P04FW)

“I thought some of the African Americans in the room were really kind of uptight with the

fact that the one white person that was in the room didn’t quite get it. From the comments,

I would say it seemed like they felt like he didn’t quite get why they were upset and yet I

don’t know if that changed anything for him.” (F07FAA)

Heart stories, Hurt stories (hearing and understanding differently). The second

theoretical proposition speaks to the depth of emotion and the level of personal disclosure

displayed by participants and facilitators during the dialogue sessions. This proposition is

comprised of interrelated parts, which describe the quality of sharing that occurred when people

dialogued authentically about issues of concern. “Heart stories, hurt stories” convey the depth of

feelings and emotions shared by dialogue group members. These stories help participants

understand race and racism from the perspective of the storyteller. During the dialogues on race,

stories of authenticity that were personal in nature and recounted about individual and family

encounters and acts or systems of oppression was disclosed.

Many of the stories shared were heart stories. The heart stories were earnest portrayals and

accounts that reflected a depth of emotion and allowed the listener the opportunity to hear the

account firsthand from the perspective of the storyteller while witnessing their associated

expressions.

360