Our Stories of Race(ism)
Each of us has been socialized, raised in a society, and surrounded by culture all our lives. We are all racialized beings – meaning, we each have a racial identity because race matters in our society. Therefore, we all have stories of race(ism) to tell. This is true, whether or not we have ever realized it or thought about it. Our Story of Race(ism) is an event that provides the opportunity to discover and tell our stories. Through the art of narrative storytelling, we will explore the ways race has influenced our lives and how we connect or remain disconnected with others. Through our stories, we begin to see our shared humanity. Reclaiming our humanity is an important step toward dismantling systemic racism, which dehumanizes us all.
When we discover, write, and share our stories of race(ism), we break a taboo and become more comfortable talking about race and racism. We cannot solve a problem we can't talk about with others, and we cannot solve a problem unless we can listen to others. Through narrative sharing, we see that we all inherited difficulty related to race and human connection due to the messy racial history of our country. Even though it can seem a bit uncomfortable to take these stories out of the vault, the relief and relatedness that come as a result make it worth the effort. Through storytelling, we are sharing our own experiences – and no one can argue with an experience. We can learn from each other the many ways in which race influences us all. Together, we can grow past the story we inherited and into a story of our creation.
Contact Dr. Rose to schedule this event in your community:
541-204-6292 * findthekeytherapy@gmail.com
Segment 1: Workshop
In the first segment of Our Story of Race(ism), participants will be guided through a step-by-step process of forming their own story of race. The facilitator will start by sharing her racial narrative to give an example.
Then, participants will create a narrative from their own life experiences, looking at how race has been a factor, regardless of racial identity. This revealing process will help participants learn things about themselves, race, and their lives that they may never have considered before (6-hour workshop).
Untold Stories
Segment 2:
Community Event
The second segment of Our Story of Race(ism) is an event during which willing participants from the workshop will share their stories with a community audience. Each participant will speak for 8-10 minutes.
Speakers will decide whether they are open to receiving comments and questions from the audience. If there is willingness, the questions will be written down by audience members and moderated by the facilitator. Questions may be about participant life experiences as well as their experience in the workshop and as a speaker.