Presented by: Leah Sadoian, Genola

Thomas, Pie Williams, & Cristie Granillo

Settings & Target Group

1st Year Students

Alpha Leaders

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Race is defined as being socially constructed

and not a function of biology.
Four tenets of Critical Race theory
1.
2.
3.
4.

Racism is a part of everyday life as an American

Voices of communities of color are legitimate
The dominant culture will concede to advances of people of color only when there is also a
benefit for them (Interest convergence)
Notions of color blindness and neutrality must be challenged

White Identity Model

Helms theory focuses on two sequential
phases of white identity development

Aba

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Contact- Denial, obliviousness or avoidance of

anxiety evoking racial information
Disintegration- Disorientation, confusion and
suppression of information
Reintegration- Distortion of information in own- group
enhancing manner

Evolution of Nonracist Identity

Pseudoindependence- Reshaping racial stimuli
Emersion/Immersion- Reeducating
Autonomy- Flexible analysis and response to
racial material

People of Color Identity Model

Abandonment of Internalized Racism
Conformity- Denial, selective perception
Dissonance- Anxiety, disorientation
Immersion- Hypersensitive and dichotomous
thinking
Emersion- Vigilance and collectivism

People of Color Identity Model Continued

Internalization- Intellection and abstraction
Integrative awareness- Flexible analysis and
response to racial stimuli

Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack

I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of
meanness, not in invisible systems conferring
dominance on my group" - Peggy Mcintosh
Example:

I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color and have them more or less match my
skin.

The Intervention: My Plate

Goals of the Intervention

-

Development of personal racial identity

- visual image, hands-on exercise
Awareness of other students racial
identities
- Diminish stereotypes/assumptions
- Understand diversity in
perspectives/experience
Explore racial identity complexities
- multi-racial identities
- nature vs nurture in identity
development

The Intervention: My Plate

Building My Plate
1.
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10.
11.

Mother
Father
Mentor (if you have one)
Pastor (if you attend Church)
Childhood best friend
Next-door neighbor growing up
High School Principal
Favorite Professor
Favorite Singer/Musician
Favorite Athlete
Favorite Actress/Actor

M&M Key
Blue: White
Red: American Indian/Alaska
Native
Yellow: Hispanic
Brown: Asian
Orange: Black/African American
Green: Native Hawaiian/Pacific
Islander

Debriefing My Plate
- Is your plate majority one color? Or very diverse?
- Looking at your own plate, what did you notice that
surprised you?
- follow up with CLARIFICATION questions
- What did you see when you walked around? What
surprised you?
- Did anyone struggle with placing an m&m for a particular
individual?
- What did you learn about yourself and your classmates?
What is your takeaway?