A rise in racial tensions nationwide has heightened the need for community college leaders to have candid conversations about race on their campuses. "Dialogue is the only path to creating community," says Joseph Grenny, co-author of "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High." But talking about race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and other issues of identity is difficult, because it can make people feel deeply uncomfortable. While there are no easy solutions, community college leaders can learn from colleagues at institutions that have made a strong commitment to equity and diversity and have experience in fostering conversations about race in their communities. Examples from Oakton Community College in Illinois, Austin Community College in Texas, and Portland Community College in Oregon show how to lead candid conversations about issues of identity.