Navigating Racial Anxiety and Stereotype Threat as a POC

DESCRIPTION: As people of color pursue self-actualization and self-efficacy while navigating encounters with white folks and other people of color, some cognitive and behavioral phenomena can get in the way. Racial anxiety is the stress response linked to a cross-racial interaction. Racial anxiety can take place before, during, or even after a cross-racial interaction when either person worries that their identity will interfere with the interaction. People of color may have the concern that they will be subject to bias, while white folks may worry that they will be perceived as biased––and this dynamic can show up in interactions across racial lines among people of color. This anxiety can affect inter-racial dynamics, creating obstacles to relationship building. People of color can acquire tools for managing racial anxiety more effectively. Stereotype threat is the concern that a person’s performance in a challenging activity will confirm a negative stereotype about the identity group to which a person belongs. It tends to arise in a situation in which a person’s identity is salient because they are in the minority or because their identity group is associated with poor performance on a particular task. Stereotype threat has been studied most frequently in academic contexts such as standardized testing, but recent research suggests that the same phenomena are present in other contexts. People of color experiencing stereotype threat can cultivate strategies for managing it beginning with the acknowledgement that stereotype threat is the product of external conditions rather than an ill-positioned mindset. This workshop will explore these phenomena in depth and will empower participants of color with strategies to disrupt these often-unconscious experiences that frustrate pathways toward greater belonging. BIO: Jason Craige Harris is a voice for healing and transformation. He works in a variety of contexts, with a range of constituents, and across industries as well as age groups to promote dignity, equity, and belonging. He brings together insights from diverse fields as a coach, writer, storyteller, and public speaker. Jason holds expertise in anti-oppression education, DEIB strategic advisory, conflict mediation, restorative justice, and leadership development. In all of his work, Jason draws on a deep well of research, practice, and spirituality to lead diverse groups toward greater integrity and compassion. Jason is a Partner at Perception Strategies and Senior Advisor at Perception Institute, an international consulting firm and research consortium that promotes empirically grounded solutions to gaps in dignity, equity, and belonging in workplaces and their work. In addition, Jason serves as a consultant at Pollyanna, a national organization working to promote racial literacy and cultural competency. He is also the Principal of JCH Consulting LLC. Jason is the author of the following pieces: “The Paradox of Isolation” (Friends Journal), “Between Love and Truth––Navigating Racial Conflict Using Restorative Justice” (CSEE), and “Black or Bruised” (AMBO). He also serves as the Social Impact Producer for Scilla Andreen’s new documentary RACE, released with IndieFlix. Jason has a 5-month old Cavapoo named Justice and a 16-year-old daughter named Sabrina, both of whom keep him very busy.