Speaking Up in the Moment: Role Playing Against Microaggression

Speaking up in the moment against implicit biases, racist comments or actions, and microaggressions can be difficult. Sometimes we are on the receiving end of the comment and sometimes we are the ones who have made the comment and are being asked to reflect. We know harmful expressions can leave us wondering how to process our own feelings and to respond in ways that advocate for ourselves and others.

Gaining comfort to meaningfully respond and address these moments requires practice, empathy, and deep understanding. In this workshop, we will work together to name what is problematic, identify impact, and lay the groundwork for change (which may require us to step further into discomfort.) We will share an approach, internal reflections, and sentence starters to support speaking up when something doesn't sit right, and create theatre to provide a structured way to practice speaking up in the moment, to reflect together, collaborate and try again. This is a learning community, an interactive workshop, designed to help participants gain practice and comfort in addressing those moments where we may feel or observe implicit biases, racist comments or actions, and microaggressions.