Effective social work practice with people of color requires attention to the impact of adverse social, environmental, and political factors rooted in racism. Social work clients whose self-concepts have been forged under individual, institutional, and cultural racism are preconditioned to believe that society sees the worst in them, which fosters hopelessness and vulnerability. In interactions between social workers and clients of color, the client must feel valued by the social worker for his/her current strengths and potential as a person. The client's existing skills and strengths must be identified as the basis for the client's building a positive self-image that provides motivation for expanding his/her abilities and functioning. Social workers must be careful not to place limits on the client based on racial stereotypes and the assumption of limited opportunities. There are five essential elements in a social worker's ability to become more sensitive and effective in working with clients who may have been victimized by racism. The worker should value diversity, have the capacity for cultural self-assessment, be conscious of the dynamics involved when people of different cultures interact, increase institutionalized cultural knowledge, and develop adaptations to service delivery that reflect an understanding of diversity between and within cultures. Although racism in the larger society may persist, social workers who are skilled and knowledgeable in working with racially oppressed clients can help them develop resiliency and constructive coping mechanisms in dealing with racism while building a new concept of self based in existing and developing capabilities that improve the quality of their lives. 23 references