MOVING OUR INTERNALIZED RACISM

Central Question: What do we want to shake free within ourselves so that we can be more effective and whole anti-racist organizers? 

Who Is This Practice For: A group of white people that are familiar with the concepts of internalized racial superiority and white supremacy culture. Ideally one or two people are in the role of facilitators/ guides and can read the instructions and model the practice for the group.*

Internalized Racial Superiority & White Supremacy Culture Learning Resources 

If you have a group that is not familiar with this, you will need to spend more time establishing a shared analysis and understanding. Even if you are familiar with this topic, undoing internalized racial oppression is a lifelong process. Continued research and exploration is essential in this work. 

The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond Undoing Racism® and Community Workshop was a transformative experience that set me on my lifelong journey of understanding and undoing internalized racial superiority. They offer workshops (virtual and in-person) in locations across the country, and can also be commissioned to offer private workshops for groups. 

Another excellent resource is Tema Okun’s White Supremacy Culture website, which builds upon her original 1999 article, “white supremacy culture,” a seminal writing on this topic. 

Movement Practice Influences

This practice was inspired by the lineage of training I’ve received in Contemporary and improvisational dance practices. Urban Bush Women’s Summer Leadership Institute and Shannon Stewart are two of my central influences.

How Long Is This Practice: Depending on the group size, this can be a 45-75 minute practice. 

Facilitator Preparation

• Make a four-track playlist (here’s an example):

1. a track to play while folx are entering the space that sets a grounding and joyful tone

2. a track for stretching 

3. a track for shaking and vibrating

4. an instrumental track to play while generating and sharing movement

• Choose an introduction, check-in protocol, and question prompt. For example, ask each person to share their name, pronouns, and one thing they’re feeling grateful for this week.

• Intentionally prepare the space:

• For in-person space: be sure to have an open floor without furniture obstruction, big enough to sit in a circle together and have each individual spread out to use a space where they can create their own movement. You will also need a device to amplify music. 

• For virtual space: let attendees know that they should join from somewhere they can move without furniture obstruction and be on camera. Make sure you learn how to share audio from your computer. 
  

Accessibility Notes

• All the movement practices can be done in a seated or standing position. 

• Music is not essential to the movement practices. For people with hearing impairments, make sure that you have closed captioning (built into Zoom and available through platforms such as Ava) or an ASL interpreter available. 

• For people with visual impairments, instructions can be given verbally with descriptions of each person’s movement share.
  

Facilitator Agenda

Introductions/Check-Ins (10 mins): 

• Facilitators introduce themselves and provide an overview of the practice they’ll be leading. 

• Each person in the room introduces themselves and responds to a check-in prompt. 

Warm Up (10 mins): 

• Lead people through breathing: five deep breaths in and out (or whatever breathing practices you appreciate to settle the body and bring attention to the present moment). You can do this standing, seated, or lying on the floor. 

• Play a 3-4 minute song to guide people through stretching and warming up their bodies. You can ask people to follow your movement, or invite them to stretch and warm up in whatever way feels good for them. 

• Play a 3-4 minute song to guide people through vibrating and shaking their bodies. Bend your knees, wiggle, get silly and loose.   

Journaling Exercise (7 mins):

Review this list of manifestations of internalized racial superiority (IRS):*

• Saviorism

• Either/Or Thinking

• Shame/Guilt

• Meritocracy

• Manipulation

• Silence

• Conflict Avoidance

• Cognitive Dissonance

• Distancing

• Competition

• Defensiveness

• Belief in One Right Way

• Worship of the Written Word

• Exceptionalism

• Self-Righteousness

• Individualism

• Materialism

• Intellectualism

• Right to Comfort 

• Fear of Open Conflict

• Entitlement

• Perfectionism

• Power Hoarding

• Violence

• Quantity over Quality

• Sense of Urgency

Looking at the list, take some time to reflect through journaling: what are 2-3 manifestations that feel especially present for you personally today? What’s “on top”? How are these showing up for you right now? 

*This list draws from the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond 

Dance Making (5 mins)

• Pick one manifestation that you wrote about and create some movements and gestures that feel like that manifestation. How would you move if you were in competition OR distancing OR manipulating etc.? Improvise and play around with some gestures and start repeating the gestures that feel most resonant in your body. You are essentially setting a short phrase of choreography by repeating and remembering those movements. (2 mins) 

• Once you’ve set the choreography, play with moving your body in the opposite way. What quality and texture does moving in the opposite way take on? Do not attempt to assign any words or language to this - simply feel it and move it. (2 mins)

• Connect the two movements together into a story of transformation that’s no longer than one minute long. Begin your movement phrase with the manifestation of internalized superiority, then transition into the movement in the opposite quality. End in stillness. You’ve created a dance that embodies what shaking free from that manifestation of internalized superiority might feel like. (1 min)

Sharing and Witnessing (5-10 mins, depending on the group size)

• Each person shares their phrase, while the rest of the group watches in the spirit of deep listening and witnessing.

• The facilitator will ask the person if they are ready to start, and play the song that was used for generating movement. Once the participant comes to stillness, they will stop the song. 

• At the end of each person’s sharing, appreciate them in some way (snaps, claps, etc). 

• During this sharing time, do not take notes, do not verbally respond, and try not to worry about what you’re going to share while you’re watching other people. Practice being present with witnessing what each person has created with their movement, and how you feel watching it. 

Debrief (10-15 mins, depending on the group size)

Lead a debriefing conversation on the experience with the group. 

• What did you see?

• What did you feel? 

• What did you learn? 

Closing Question (5 mins) 

• What do you want to carry forward from the work you did today? 
  

Quotes from white folx who have done this practice:

• I forgot how much fun moving was, and that I could do this. And that was liberating. 

• My body showed me how my internal process of perfectionism causes me to lash out.

• Being witnessed and witnessing someone is a really powerful thing in and of itself.