Microaggression Roleplay

Instructions

The article Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life is a useful introduction to microaggressions and could be made available to Friends in hard copy and/or by a link on the internet for reading in advance of the session. It would be helpful to have hard copy at the session so that Friends who have not read it in advance can glance over it and take it home to read more deeply – but need not feel left out.

You may also choose to share a link to this interview with Derald Wing Sue, the author of the article, ahead of time or watch it together (7 minutes): https://youtu.be/mgvjnxr6OCE

Open

Open the session with worship and check-ins. 

[Optional: watch 7-minute video]

Discuss:   What did you learn from or particularly notice in the article (or video)? or  What brought you to this meeting?

If general themes seem to have emerged perhaps open them for further exploration.

Role Play

Pass out copies of the Examples of Microaggressions handout. Give participants time to read them.

Tell participants that the next step will be to role play the microaggressions. There are lots of ways to do this. You could start at the top left of the page and ask for a pair of volunteers. Have them agree who will be the speaker, who the listener. For some of the examples they may need a third person. Have them come to the front of the room, or the center of the circle (to step out of themselves a bit), still/quiet themselves and enact the microaggression. 

Pause to let Friends feel the impact.

Ask for reflections. 

Repeat with the next microaggression.

Alternatively, you could ask people to get into pairs, choose a microaggression, and decide who will be the speaker, who the listener. If they need a third person, find one.

Ask for a pair to volunteer to come to the front of the room, or the center of the circle (to step out of themselves a bit), still themselves, and enact the microaggression. 

Pause to let Friends feel the impact.

Ask for reflections. 

Repeat until all pairs have enacted their chosen microaggression. This will probably result in repetition of some of the microaggression but perhaps different players will bring out different feelings about it.

Discussion

What did you learn from looking at these examples of microaggressions? How do microaggressions show up in our meeting?

In our collective experience, we assume that all of us have transgressed with microaggressions now and then. When you have realized that you have said something that could be offensive (whether or not the other person acted offended) what have you done or what can you do about it?

In the future, how would you change what you said and/or how you said it?

Additional Materials

Learn more about microaggressions:

Read this open letter to white Quakers about one Friend’s experience of microaggressions and outright racism within the Religious Society of Friends: Dear Friend / Good White Person by Regina Renee Ward (2014). Sadly, it became such a norm that my presence in meeting for worship seemed to prompt “Ask a Black Quaker” time.

Take a look at this Transforming Quaker Welcoming poster, which offers examples of mistakes well-intentioned Friends can make when talking to strangers, and suggests more affirming and welcoming options to consider.