Friday, June 05, 2020

RACISM -This is an experiential group exercise POWERFUL - try it with others





Back in the day
I had a friend called Harry Cumberbatch. 
He was in a group I once facilitated 
it went like this::

I asked people to talk about their feelings - 
it is a powerful exercise - try it.::

This is an experiential group exercise I used::
I asked people to talk about their feelings::

1 About their first name. 
(I have a story & feelings around the story of me 
being ‘Pip’)
2 Their feelings about their surname. 
(I remember clearly one woman who carried around her ex husbands name 
when they had been long divorced - 
AND hated that surname )

Harry's surname is was his family name passed down generations.
It was a name he had lived with all his life.
His surname was via his fore-fathers like most people.
But it was not their choice of name
but chosen by a plantation owner 
whose name was ‘Cumberbatch’ - 
meaning every human he ‘owned’ as a slave
was named ‘Cumberbatch.
His family had been bought into slavery.

He carries around with him - 
wherever he goes = 
SLAVERY ……….



I was once a racist and never knew.
I had to learn
others had to teach me.

I want to share my journey here as weeks pass.

I hate racism