Disrupting White Noise: Challenging Beliefs About Race on Campus

A bold and timely reexamination of how white students understand and engage with race on college campuses

In Disrupting White Noise, Zak Foste and Lauren N. Irwin challenge the prevailing belief that white students come to college as “empty vessels,” revealing how these students are already deeply shaped by their pre-college environments—bringing powerful attitudes and beliefs about race that can impede efforts toward inclusion.

Drawing from years of interviews and research at a variety of in...