Materials
List of privilege statements
Preparation
Assemble all participants in a straight line, shoulder to shoulder, facing forward.
Establish Ground Rules:
– Participants should move silently and reflectively.
– Encourage honesty and openness.
– Remind participants to respect each other’s experiences and to listen without judgement during the debriefing session.
Exercise
Read each statement aloud, pausing between each one to give participants time to take a step forward or backward as directed.
Participants respond to each statement by stepping forward if the statement applies to them or stepping backward if it does not. Participants should remain in their new positions until the next statement is read.
Examples of Statements:
- If your parents were professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc.), take one step forward.
- If you have ever felt unsafe walking alone at night, take one step backward.
- If you attended private school or a prestigious public school, take one step forward.
- If you were raised in a single-parent household, take one step backward.
- If you have never been discriminated against because of your race, take one step forward.
- If you have ever felt you were denied an opportunity because of your gender, take one step backward.
- If you have access to a college education, take one step forward.
- If you have ever been bullied or made fun of because of something you could not change (e.g., your name, body size, skin color, disability), take one step backward.
- If you feel comfortable being yourself in public without fear of judgment or harm, take one step forward.
- If you or your parents speak a language other than English at home, take one step backward.
Debriefing:
Ask participants to look around and observe their positions relative to others.
Lead a discussion with the following questions:
- How do you feel about where you are standing?
- What did you learn about yourself and others during this exercise?
- How does it feel to be ahead or behind in this exercise? What does that say about privilege?
- How can we use our understanding of privilege to promote equity and inclusion in our community?
Encourage participants to share their thoughts and experiences if they feel comfortable doing so.
