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Honoring History
Honoring History
Do—
History in School
Do—
History in School
Did you learn this during your schooling experience (primary, secondary, college, etc?)
Below you will find a series of events and topic. You will circle:
Yes if you remember receiving direct instruction about it in school
Somewhat if you recall a moment in time where a teacher briefly covered the topic
No if you never heard or learned anything about it in school
For a printable version, click here.
Reflect—
Reflect—
In a journal or in conversation with another person doing this work, ask yourself:
What did you notice about your responses?
For the answers you provided Yes: Why do you think you did learn about that in school?
For the answers you provided No: Why do you think you didn’t learn about that in school?
Pick one of the topics you selected either Somewhat or No: Research more about the topic and write 2–3 sentences about what you learned.
Author's Note—
Author's Note—
In 2020 I witnessed an uptick in discussions regarding how narrow-focused our U.S. history lessons were during our schooling experience. There were people in my circle who would say, “We never learned that in school.” “I have two kids now, and neither I nor them learned anything about this.” Our history is vast and complex, and there are educators, parents, and others who are committed to breaking boundaries and doing things differently. They are providing counter-narratives to those heard in school. They are equipping young people with life skills to be successful in the real world.
One of the first steps for actively engaging in anti-racism work begins by learning, facing, and remembering our history. Our experiences today undeniably stem from something that occurred in the past. History moves through and within us simultaneously so if you find yourself experiencing anger, rage, sadness, avoidance, or anything else throughout this section and this workbook, it’s normal and you will be provided guidance for how to move through those emotions. Nevertheless, the BIPOC activist journey must begin with reflecting on your own identity, culture, and history. It’s important to note as well that there are those who may have been separated from their cultural identity due to transracial adopition or seeking asylum or refuge in another country.
You may or may not already be familiar with your cultural/ethnic history, but starting in a place of thankfulness and gratitude for those that came before us is important in this work as without them there is no you. Acknowledge that the experiences you and your ancestors have had are real. That includes reflecting upon the joys and the hurt that comes with the experience of being part of an oppressed group.
Reflect—
Reflect—
In a journal or in conversation with another person doing this work, ask yourself:
How much time have you dedicated to learning the history of your ancestry? In what context? In what kind of environment?
What do you know about your ancestry?
If you do not know much about your background, why might that be? Are there frustrations in not knowing? What have been some of the obstacles in acquiring information?
If you do know a lot about your background, how did you learn it? What have you learned?
There are also ways that your family stayed resilient, hopeful, and celebratory through it all. Let’s identify what those are.
Now that you’ve reflected on various elements of your familial history, including those you remember and those you don’t, the challenges, achievements, etc., recognize what feelings are coming up in your body. A helpful way to do this is by doing a quick body scan.
Do—
Body Scan
Do—
Body Scan
This body scan originally appeared in Resmaa Menakem’s My Grandmother’s Hands.
Sit comfortably in a chair with your feet on the ground. Take a few deep breaths, feeling the air move in and out of your body. If possible, feel the breath flow all the way into your belly and relax out with the out breath. Close your eyes or let your gaze be downward.
Notice the experience of the chair against your back. Notice the sensations of your feet on the ground.
Starting with the top of your head, slowly scan your body from top to bottom. Pay attention to each part as you slowly move your attention downward. Notice where there is pain or discomfort, where there is constriction, where there is relaxation or expansiveness, where there is numbness.
First, let awareness move slowly down your forehead, through your face, then down your neck. Follow attention as it moves across the top of your shoulder blades, down your torso, and into and down your arms.
Continue to let awareness descend to your torso and arms, through your hips and buttocks, and to your hands. Experience your attention spreading through your fingers and then out your fingertips.
Continue to let awareness move down your legs, through your knees, and down to your ankles. Pay attention to your major joints, your ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. These are spots where energy often gets blocked. If you feel an urge to move any of these, feel free to do so.
Follow your attention to your feet, then down to your toes, then to the bottoms of your feet.
Take a moment to notice where your soles meet the ground. Pause to feel the sensations of the soles of your feet as they rest on the ground, feeling supported by the ground.
Again, take a few slow deep breaths in and out, feeling the air move in and out of your body. Slowly open your eyes or lift your gaze, and softly bring awareness to your surroundings in front of you, behind you, and all around you.
Reflect!
Reflect!
In a journal or in conversation with another person doing this work, ask yourself:
As you end the first part of week 1 you thought about where you come from. Let’s now think about where you’re going from here.
How will you carry your history with you as you explore this workbook?
What will be important for you to remember?
Honoring and Exploring (Racial) Identity
Honoring and Exploring (Racial) Identity
Being an anti-racist means being aware of who you are, where you are, and where you want to be in your activism. The second part of this week requires you to dive deep into exploring your identity and honoring who you are. Again, let’s recognize that BIPOC is not a monolith and that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color can experience discrimination and oppression in different ways. This section is an opportunity to unlearn, relearn, reinforce, and gain new insight about your own identity.
Let’s begin with a simple exercise below:
Do—
I Am Activity
Do—
I Am Activity
List as many “I am_____________________” descriptors as you can within 60 seconds. What words would you use to describe yourself?
Reflect—
Reflect—
In a journal or in conversation with another person doing this work, ask yourself:
Is there a common theme to the descriptors you selected?
What words would not have been on this list if you were asked to do this one year ago? Five years ago? Ten years ago?
Is there a part of your identity that you connect with more than others? If so, why?
What are some experiences (positive, negative, or neutral) of the identities that are central to who you are? How do you feel when they are ignored or not seen?
Did you include your race or ethnicity? Why or why not?
Dr. Beverly Tatum’s “Complexity of Identity” regularly uses the “I am” activity above with her psychology students.
A pattern she noticed was that students of color tended to mention their racial or ethnic group, while those who were white, did not mention their race in any descriptors.
Read more about Dr. Tatum’s theories on the complexity of identity in the graphic below:
Reflect—
Reflect—
In a journal or in conversation with another person doing this work, ask yourself:
Take a look at your list again. To what extent do you agree with Dr. Tatum?
Our sense of identity is built in both big and small moments, especially when interacting with others in the world.
Some of our views about our identity come from our own internal perceptions of ourselves.
Some of our views come from people with whom we have a shared identity.
Some of our views develop in our interactions with people who are different from us.
The experience of being othered for our racial, ethnic, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, etc. has a strong impact on our daily experiences. Let’s dig a little bit deeper into your experiences regarding your identity by considering the following:
Have you ever been told that you speak well for being [fill in the racial/ethnic identity]?
Have you ever experienced being followed by a security guard in a store?
Has anyone ever crossed the street to avoid you?
Has anyone asked you this or similar question “how did you get your hair to look like that?”
Has anyone ever asked you where you’re “really” from?
The list can go on and on. The above are examples of microaggressions, subtle everyday insults, attacks, and behaviors—intentional or unintentional—that harm marginalized people and communities by communicating bias. (Ricketts, 2021)
When you are being othered by microaggressions, it can feel incredibly isolating, but it’s important to know that you are not alone. People with shared histories and identities often silently endure similar experiences. To prove it, select the video most aligned with your racial identity and then answer the reflection questions below.
A Conversation with Native Americans on Race
A Conversation with Black Women on Race
A Conversation with White People on Race
A Conversation with Latinos on Race
Reflect—
Reflect—
In a journal or in conversation with another person doing this work, ask yourself:
In what types of spaces do you feel most comfortable with your racial identity? What kinds of spaces often make you feel uncomfortable?
Think about a specific time when your racial/ethnic identity made you feel uncomfortable. What happened?
Think about a time when your racial/ethnic identity made you feel super comfortable and prideful. What happened?
Watch one more of the above videos. How do you relate to the experiences of this group? How do your experiences differ?
Facing microaggressions like those seen in the videos, and others, is an everyday battle between how you see yourself versus how others perceive you. The way you internalize your race and other aspects of your identity may be different for you now compared to a week ago, one year ago, or even ten years ago.
As an anti-racist activist, it’s important to reflect on your racial and ethnic identity as it can impact the way you approach your anti-racist work. Below is a framework that describes stages of BIPOC racial identity and development. The process may be linear, cyclical, or one may jump around during different moments in your life.
Do—
Racial Identity Timeline
Do—
Racial Identity Timeline
Complete the timeline below using the directions at the top. For a printable version, click here.
Reflect—
Reflect—
In a journal or in conversation with another person doing this work, Look at your chart and answer the questions below:
What patterns do you notice in how your racial identity has changed and developed?
What phase(s) am I currently experiencing in the development of my racial identity? Why might this be?
Is there a stage I tend to stay in longer or return to periodically? Why might this be?
In any phase of racial identity you experience, there may be uncertain spaces, communities, and situations where you find the perception of your racial identity tested. Your reaction may be to ground yourself by unapologetically leaning into your racial identity. You may also react by internalizing perceptions that others may have about your identity. Neither is wrong. It is reasonable to express deepened pride and/or question what others think of you.
The activity below is designed to help you draw awareness to those reactions and consider ways that you may adjust your mindset.
Do—
Drawing Awareness
Do—
Drawing Awareness
Imagine the scenario below:
You’ve been invited by a white friend to her company’s Christmas party. When you get to the party, it is in full swing with about sixty people talking, eating, drinking, and milling about. As you enter, you notice four things:
Everyone in the room is white.
Almost all of them are in suits or cocktail dresses, while you are in casual clothes.
You don’t see your friend anywhere.
As you enter the room, many of the people turn and look at you.
Answer the questions below for this scenario:
What impulses, emotions, images, or thoughts arise?
What would you do based on your current phase of racial identity?
*Derived from Resmaa Menakem’s My Grandmother’s Hands.
Journey Work: Preparing for Cross Culture Dialogue
Journey Work: Preparing for Cross Culture Dialogue
The goal of this workbook is both personal development and preparation for conversations in cross-racial settings. We will end each week with exercises in applying your learnings in diversified spaces.
Knowing this, what parts of Week 1 learnings would you find important to share in a cross-racial setting? What would you like to hear from your fellow White and BIPOC activists in a discussion of history and racial identity?
Feed Your Soul: Referenced and Additional Resources
Feed Your Soul: Referenced and Additional Resources
The following are good supplements to the work you did above, if you are looking to dig deeper into this topic.
Referenced
Referenced
Black and Buddhist edited by Pamela Ayo Yetunde and Cheryl Giles
"Where Did BIPOC Come From?” by Sandra E. Garcia
Code Switch: Transracial Adoptees On Their Racial Identity And Sense Of Self
Amnesty International: Refugees, Asylum-seekers, and migrants
My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
“Complexity of Identity” by Dr. Beverly Tatum
“The Negro-to-Black Conversion Experience” by William E. Cross
Additional
Additional
Antiracism Meditation by Iman Gibson and Tori Lund
Interested in Doing More of This Work?
Interested in Doing More of This Work?
The activities and materials on this page were created for the Anti-Racism Every Day BIPOC Activism Discussion Group. All are welcome to join us to continue this work and benefit from the power of collective reflection and discussion.
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