Empathy, W. E. B. DuBois and us: a process for understanding people’s experiences in the past and present

Purpose The purpose of this study is to discuss the promise and challenges of using empathy to develop care for people of the past and the present, with particular attention to differentiating kinds of empathic responses. Design/methodology/approach Reflecting on an instructional model used in the social studies methods course, this lesson plan models ways to practice empathy through the experiences of peers and people in history. Findings After analyzing possible outcomes for empathic discussions about experiences of people in the past and present, this lesson centers on a dialogical question: “How do we talk about our identity-based experiences, and how can that help us to empathize with the experiences of others in the past and present?” Originality/value This paper includes reflections on personal instructional strategies to teaching about experiences with discrimination.