The purpose of this research study was to find tangible group work practices that secondary and higher education educators could employ to increase racial equity and cultivate inclusive environments in their academic institutions. The study originated from a long-lasting pervasive inattention paid to Students of Color in classrooms across America. Collaborative learning has become normalized as a "good" educational practice where students are allowed to engage in self-direction, collective goal setting, and peer motivation. Those productive elements are not always present in every group for every student, especially Students of Color who are often excluded from educational processes. The study includes the words of eight participants, each detailing their own experiences surrounding group work in their current or most recent higher education organizations. Some findings include comparisons of their professional and/or secondary environments. Using Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Systems Theory, findings were organized based on changes educators could make to each environmental layer, starting with their immediate classroom environment to the larger macro culture. Findings centered on 1) addressing student anxiety associated with group work, 2) recognizing the need for critical, growth-inducing dialogue, 3) looking at the existing power structures that include school leadership, instructors, and students, and 4) addressing the lack of education that many stakeholders have in employing effective, collective, and productive collaborative learning or teaming. Recommendations include focusing on social-emotional learning, having conversations that validate identities and experiences of Student of Color, redefining instructor and group member roles within a collaborative dynamic, considering backgrounds, teaching from a lens of social justice, and rebranding competitive environments to supportive communities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]