Skip to content
1981
Breathing Beyond Borders: Racial Justice and Decolonial Healing Practices
  • ISSN: 2054-7668
  • E-ISSN: 2054-7676

Abstract

Following the production of , an original play featuring the experiences of creative arts therapists and creatives who identify as Black and people of colour (BPOC), members of the ensemble agreed to engage in an arts-based participatory action research process in which co-researchers drew on dramatic, visual, musical and poetic forms of inquiry to ask themselves about the realities and hopes faced by this community and the environmental conditions that would support their movement, growth and mobility. Findings emphasized the value and necessity of creative affinity groups together with sustainable structural, financial and relational support to encourage the hopes and dreams of BPOC students and professionals.

Resumen

Luego de la producción de , una obra original que presenta las experiencias de terapeutas a través de las artes creativas y creativos que se identifican como personas negras y de color (BPOC), los miembros del conjunto acordaron participar en un proceso de investigación de acción participativa (PAR) basado en las artes en el que los coinvestigadores recurrieron a formas de indagación dramática, visual, musical y poética para preguntarse sobre las realidades y esperanzas que enfrenta esta comunidad y las condiciones ambientales que sustentarían su movimiento, crecimiento y movilidad. Los hallazgos enfatizaron el valor y la necesidad de grupos de afinidad creativos junto con un apoyo estructural, financiero y relacional sostenible para alentar las esperanzas y los sueños de los estudiantes y profesionales de BPOC.

Résumé

À la suite de la production de , une pièce originale mettant en vedette les expériences de thérapeutes par les arts créatifs et de créateurs qui s’identifient comme Noirs et personnes de couleur (BPOC), les membres de l’ensemble ont accepté de s’engager dans un processus de recherche-action participative (RAP) basé sur les arts, où les co-chercheurs se sont appuyés sur des formes d’enquête dramatiques, visuelles, musicales et poétiques pour s’interroger sur les réalités et les espoirs auxquels fait face cette communauté, et les conditions environnementales qui soutiendraient son mouvement, sa croissance et sa mobilité. Les résultats ont souligné la valeur et la nécessité des groupes d’affinité créatifs ainsi qu’un soutien structurel, financier et relationnel durable pour encourager les espoirs et les rêves des étudiants et des professionnels BPOC.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/dtr_00123_1
2023-05-11
2024-09-15
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Alleyne, A.. ( 2005;), ‘ Invisible injuries and silent witnesses: The shadow of racial oppression in workplace contexts. ’, Psychodynamic Practice: Individuals, Groups and Organisations, 11:3, pp. 28399, https://doi.org/10.1080/14753630500232222.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. American Public Health Association ( 2021;), ‘ Racism and health. ’, American Public Health Association, https://bit.ly/3zy60a6. Accessed 4 August 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Awais, Y. J., and Yali, A. M.. ( 2013;), ‘ A call for diversity: The need to recruit and retain ethnic minority art therapy students in art therapy. ’, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 30:3, pp. 13034.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Awais, Y. J.,, and Yali, A. M.. ( 2015;), ‘ Efforts in increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the field of art therapy. ’, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 33:3, pp. 11219.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Bauer-Wolf, J.. ( 2017;), ‘ Feeling like imposters. ’, Inside Higher Ed, 6 April, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/04/06/study-shows-impostor-syndromes-effect-minority-students-mental-health. Accessed 4 August 2022.
  6. Binney, S.. ( 2019;), ‘ Drama therapy performance engages audience members in challenging systems of oppression. ’, NYU News Release, 8 April, https://bit.ly/3oW9q1j. Accessed 4 August 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Blackwell, K.. ( 2018;), ‘ We need spaces of color without White people. ’, The Arrow, 9 August, https://arrow-journal.org/why-people-of-color-need-spaces-without-white-people/. Accessed 22 August 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Brougton, R. S.,, Plaisime, M. V., and Green Parker, M. C.. ( 2019;), ‘ Mentorship: The necessity of intentionality. ’, The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 89:3, pp. 31720, https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000412.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Brown, L., and Strega, S.. ( 2005), Research as Resistance Critical, Indigenous and Anti-Oppressive Approaches, Toronto:: Canadian Scholars’ Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Campbell, C. M., and Edwards, R. R.. ( 2012;), ‘ Ethnic differences in pain and pain management. ’, Pain Management, 2:3, pp. 21930, https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt.12.7.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Chang, M. H.. ( 2016;), ‘ Dance/movement therapists of color in the ADTA: The first 50 years. ’, American Journal of Dance Therapy, 38, pp. 26878, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-016-9238-9.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Conrad, D.. ( 2004;), ‘ Exploring risky youth experiences: Popular theatre as a participatory, performative research method. ’, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 3:1, pp. 1225, https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690400300102.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Dancy, T., and Brown, C.. ( 2011;), ‘ The mentoring and induction of educators of color: Addressing the Impostor Syndrome in academe. ’, Journal of School Leadership, 21:4, pp. 60734, https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461102100405.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Davis, D.-A.. ( 2019), Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth, New York:: New York University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Delgado R.,, Stefancic J., and Harris A. P.. ( 2017;), Critical Race Theory: An Introduction. , , 3rd ed.., New York:: New York University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Edwards, J. N.. ( 2021;), ‘ Living in “turbulence”. ’, Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 21:1, https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v21i1.3165.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Ellingwood, S.. ( 2021;), ‘ What is critical race theory, and why is everyone talking about it?. ’, Columbia News, 1 July, https://news.columbia.edu/news/what-critical-race-theory-and-why-everyone-talking-about-it-0. Accessed 9 January 2023.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Falkner, S.. ( 2020), Poetic Inquiry: Craft, Method, Practice, , 2nd ed.., New York:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. George, J.. ( 2021;), ‘ A lesson on critical race theory. ’, American Bar Association, 11 January, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/civil-rights-reimagining-policing/a-lesson-on-critical-race-theory/. Accessed 9 January 2023.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Gerber, N., and Myers-Coffman, K.. ( 2017;), ‘ Translation in arts-based research. ’, in P. Leavy. (ed.), Handbook of Arts-Based Research, New York:: Guilford Press;, pp. 587607.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Gipson, L.. ( 2015;), ‘ Is cultural competence enough? Deepening social justice pedagogy in art therapy. ’, Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 32:3, pp. 14245, https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2015.1060835.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Gipson, L.,, Norris, M.,, Amaral, L.,, Tesfaye, J., and Hiscox, A.. ( 2021;), ‘ “What are you all going to do to keep black women in art therapy?”: A womanist manifesto for creative arts therapies education. ’, Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 21:1, https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v21i1.3200.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Goel, S.. ( 2021;), ‘ Beyond silence: Affinity spaces for the marginalized creative arts therapist. ’, unpublished master’s thesis, New York:: New York University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Goessling, K. P.. ( 2019;), ‘ Youth participatory action research, trauma, and the arts: Designing youth spaces for equity and healing. ’, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 33:1, pp. 1231, https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2019.1678783.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Hadley, S. J., and Norris, M. S.. ( 2016;), ‘ Musical multicultural competency in music therapy: The first step. ’, Music Therapy Perspectives, 34, pp. 12937, https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/miv045.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Hoffman, K. M.,, Trawalter, S.,, Axt, J. R., and Oliver, M. N.. ( 2016;), ‘ Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites. ’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113:16, pp. 4296301, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516047113.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Houston, A.. ( 2021;), ‘ Performance review: Free Play: Open Source Scripts Towards an Anti-Racist Tomorrow, Idris Goodwin, directed by Adam Stevens. ’, Drama Therapy Review, 7:1, pp. 33134.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Jack, A.. ( 2019;), ‘ I was a low-income college student: Classes weren’t the hard part. ’, New York Times Magazine, 10 September, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/09/10/magazine/college-inequality.html. Accessed 8 August 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Jones, P.. ( 2007), Drama as Therapy: Theory, Practice and Research, , 2nd ed.., London:: Routledge and Taylor & Francis Group;.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Jones, C. P.. ( 2018;), ‘ Toward the science and practice of anti-racism: Launching a national campaign against racism. ’, Ethnicity & Disease, 28:Supp 1, pp. 23134, https://doi.org/10.18865/ed.28.s1.231.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Kaiser, D. H.. ( 2017;), ‘ What do structural racism and oppression have to do with scholarship, research, and practice in art therapy?. ’, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 34:4, pp. 15456, https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2017.1420124.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Kikusui, T.,, Winslow, J. T., and Mori, Y.. ( 2006;), ‘ Social buffering: Relief from stress and anxiety. ’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 361:1476, pp. 221528, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2006.1941.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Klass, P.. ( 2019;), ‘ The impact of racism on children’s health. ’, New York Times, 12 August, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/well/family/the-impact-of-racism-on-childrens-health.html. Accessed 8 August 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Krumholz, H. M.,, Massey, D. S., and Dorsey, K. B.. ( 2022;), ‘ Racism as a leading cause of death in the United States. ’, BMJ, 376:o213. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o213.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Leavy, P.. (ed.) ( 2018), Handbook of Arts-Based Research, New York:: Guilford Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Maynard, K.. ( 2018;), ‘ To be Black. To be a woman: Can dramatherapy help Black women to discover their true self despite racial and gender oppression?. ’, Dramatherapy, 39:1, pp. 3148, https://doi.org/10.1080/02630672.2018.1432668.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Mayor, C.. ( 2012;), ‘ Playing with race: A theoretical framework and approach for creative arts therapists. ’, The Arts in Psychotherapy, 39:3, pp. 21419.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Mayor, C.. ( 2020;), ‘ Embodied tableaux: A drama method for social work arts-based research. ’, Qualitative Social Work, 19:5&6, pp. 104060, https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325020923000.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Myers, K.,, Trull, L. H.,, Bryson, B. J., and Yeom, H. S.. ( 2019;), ‘ Affinity groups: Redefining brave spaces. ’, Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 24:1, pp. 118, https://doi.org/10.18084/1084-7219.24.1.1.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Norris, J.. ( 2009), Playbuilding as Qualitative Research: A Participatory Arts-Based Approach, Walnut Creek, CA:: Left Coast Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Norris, M. S.. ( 2020;), ‘ Freedom dreams: What must die in music therapy to preserve human dignity?. ’, Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 20:3, pp. 14, https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v20i3.3172.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Norris, M.,, Gipson, L., and Williams, B.. ( n.d.;), ‘ BIPOC Student Fund. ’, arttherapystudies.com, https://www.arttherapystudies.com/. Accessed 25 July 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Pain, R.,, Whitman, G., and Milledge, D.. ( 2017), ‘Participatory action research toolkit: Community learning partnership’, Community Learning Partnership;, January, http://communitylearningpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/PARtoolkit.pdf. Accessed 8 August 2022.
  44. Robb, A.. ( 2017;), ‘ Too many doctors still believe dangerous racial stereotypes. ’, The Cut, 22 November, https://www.thecut.com/2017/11/too-many-doctors-still-believe-dangerous-racial-stereotypes.html. Accessed 8 August 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Sajnani, N.. ( 2012a;), ‘ Improvisation and art-based research. ’, Journal of Applied Arts & Health, 3:1, pp. 7987.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Sajnani, N.. ( 2012b;), ‘ Response/ability: Imagining a critical race feminist paradigm for the creative arts therapies. ’, Arts in Psychotherapy, 39:3, pp. 18691, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2011.12.009.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Sajnani, N.. ( 2013;), ‘ The body politic: The relevance of an intersectional framework for therapeutic performance research in drama therapy. ’, The Arts in Psychotherapy, 40:4, pp. 38285, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2013.05.001.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Sajnani, N.. ( 2016;), ‘ Relational aesthetics in the performance of personal story. ’, in S. Pendzik,, R. Emunah, and D. R. Johnson. (eds), The Self in Performance: Autobiographical, Self-Revelatory, and Autoethnographic Forms of Therapeutic Theatre, New York:: Palgrave Macmillan;, pp. 8595.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Sajnani, N.,, Mayor, C.,, Burch, D.,, Feldman, D.,, Davis, C.,, Kelly, J.,, Landis, H., and Mcadam, L.. ( 2019;), ‘ Collaborative discourse analysis on the use of drama therapy to treat trauma in schools. ’, Drama Therapy Review, 5:1, pp. 2747, https://doi.org/10.1386/dtr.5.1.27_1.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Silverstein, J.. ( 2013;), ‘ How racism is bad for our bodies. ’, The Atlantic, 12 March, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/how-racism-is-bad-for-our-bodies/273911/. Accessed 8 August 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Talwar, S.. ( 2010;), ‘ An intersectional framework for race, class, gender, and sexuality in art therapy. ’, Art Therapy, 27:1, pp. 1117, https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2010.10129567.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Talwar, S.. ( 2017;), ‘ Ethics, law, and cultural competence in art therapy. ’, Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 34:3, pp. 10205, https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2017.1358026.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Talwar, S., and Sajnani, N.. ( 2022;), ‘ Intersectionality and the ethics of care in the creative arts therapies. ’, The Arts in Psychotherapy, 80, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2022.101944.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Thelamour, B.,, George Mwangi, C., and Ezeofor, I.. ( 2019;), ‘ “We need to stick together for survival”: Black college students’ racial identity, same-ethnic friendships, and campus connectedness. ’, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 12:3, pp. 26679, https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000104.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Thomas, K. M.,, Willis, L. A., and Davis, J.. ( 2007;), ‘ Mentoring minority graduate students: Issues and strategies for institutions, faculty, and students. ’, Equal Opportunities International, 26:3, pp. 17892, https://doi.org/10.1108/02610150710735471.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Trent, M.,, Dooley, D. G., and Dougé, J.. ( 2019;), ‘ The impact of racism on child and adolescent health. ’, Pediatrics, 144:2, e20191765, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-1765.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Vogel, L.. ( 2018;), ‘ Doctors on their own when dealing with racism from patients. ’, Canadian Medical Association Journal, 190:37, pp. E111819, https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-5633.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Wallerstein, N.,, Duran, B.,, Oetzel, J. G., and Minkler, M.. (eds) ( 2017), Community-Based Participatory Research for Health: Advancing Social and Health Equity, , 3rd ed.., San Francisco, CA:: Jossey-Bass;.
    [Google Scholar]
  59. Walton, G. M., and Cohen, G. L.. ( 2007;), ‘ A question of belonging: Race, social fit, and achievement. ’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92:1, pp. 8296, https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.1.82.
    [Google Scholar]
  60. Williams, B. M.. ( 2016;), ‘ Minding our own biases: Using drama therapeutic tools to identify and challenge assumptions, biases and stereotypes. ’, Drama Therapy Review, 2:1, pp. 923.
    [Google Scholar]
  61. Williams, B. M.. ( 2017;), ‘ Role power: Using role theory in support of ethical practice. ’, Drama Therapy Review, 3:1, pp. 13148.
    [Google Scholar]
  62. Williams, B.. ( 2018;), ‘ Unapologetically black: Seven questions and poems that explore how race performs in clinical practice. ’, Drama Therapy Review, 4:2, pp. 22332, http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/dtr.4.2.223_1.
    [Google Scholar]
  63. Williams, B.. ( 2021;), ‘ Tracks on repeat. ’, Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy, 21:1, pp. 110, https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v21i1.3227.
    [Google Scholar]
  64. de Witte, M.,, Orkibi, H.,, Zarate, R.,, Karkou, V.,, Sajnani, N.,, Malhotra, B.,, Ho, R. T.,, Kaimal, G.,, Baker, F. A., and Koch, S. C.. ( 2021;), ‘ From therapeutic factors to mechanisms of change in the creative arts therapies: A scoping review. ’, Frontiers in Psychology, 12, p. 678397, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.678397.
    [Google Scholar]
  65. Wong, K.. ( 2018;), ‘ Dealing with impostor syndrome when you’re treated as an impostor. ’, WRAL, 15 June, https://www.wral.com/dealing-with-impostor-syndrome-when-you-re-treated-as-an-impostor/17630935/?version=amp. Accessed 8 August 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  66. World Health Organization ( 1947;), ‘ Constitution of the World Health Organization. ’, https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitution. Accessed 8 August 2022.
  67. Wyatt, R.. ( 2013;), ‘ Pain and ethnicity. ’, AMA Journal of Ethics, 15:5, pp. 44954, https://doi.org/10.1001/virtualmentor.2013.15.5.pfor1-1305.
    [Google Scholar]
  68. Sajnani, Nisha,, Williams, Britton,, Yuan Low, Ming,, Edwards, Jasmine,, Dixon, Saharra,, Stevens, Adam D.-F.,, Morris, Mary,, Yeung Li, Si,, Garcia Rodriguez, Idalmis,, Ikram, Samah,, Bell, Whitney, and Rodriguez Perez, Carlos. ( 2023;), ‘ Turbulence: Arts-based participatory action research on the experience of creative arts therapists and creatives who identify as Black and people of colour. ’, Drama Therapy Review, Special Issue: ‘Breathing Beyond Borders: Racial Justice and Decolonial Healing Practices’, 9:1, pp. 12954, https://doi.org/10.1386/dtr_00123_1
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/dtr_00123_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/dtr_00123_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error