Stories of Color: An Exploration of Storytelling and Racial Microaggression

• Main Author: Lunceford, Tama
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2019
• Subjects: Storytelling; Racial Microaggression; Performance Ethnography; Racism; Story Performance; Critical Race Theory; Critical and Cultural Studies; Other Communication
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3672; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5148&context=etd

This study examines experiences of racial microaggressions as related to an audience through the art of Storytelling. Integrating Performance Ethnography and Critical Race Theory, it examines how storytelling may serve to illuminate the concept of racial microaggressions. After examining the current body of work on Racism, Storytelling and Microaggression, the author moves through the stories of experiences with racial microaggression from four individuals, gathered and performed as a storytelling event, before a live audience. The communicative management methods individuals use when talking about race and racial microaggressions are explored in presentation of the audience discussion which followed the performance. The author concludes storytelling has merit as a tool for the illumination of racial microaggressions, yet the potency with which racism is ingrained in the psyche of white people in U.S. indicates significant structure must be applied to public discussions of race to support the utilization of storytelling in this manner.