The Identity, Power and Privilege Activity encourages us to reflect on the various ways we identify socially and how those identities are visible and invisible, grant us privilege or dis-privilege, and encourage us to reflect on how these identities impact how others treat us and how we treat others. The T-Chart invites us to consider various identities and to fill in various social identities (such as race, gender, sex, first language, ability disability, sexual orientation, etc.) and further categorize those identities based on which matter most in their self-perception and which matter most in terms of social relationships. ### Here is an example of how I filled out this T-Chart given my personal identities. I added in some specific privileges I experience being mixed and perceived as heterosexual.

Privileged Identities I Hold	Target Identities I Hold
Educational privilege Class privilege English-speaking privilege Hetero-seeming privilege Proximity to whiteness in being mixed	Person of color Woman Immigrant Disability Queer

### Now, even if you’ve done this exercise before, you can fill in this chart. Considering all your identities such as race, gender, sex, first language, ability disability, sexual orientation, etc. and then answer the reflection questions below.

Privileged Identities I Hold	Target Identities I Hold

## Identity: Questions for Reflection ### How do I feel about the privileged identities I hold, if any? What does this bring up for me?

### How do I feel about the target identities I hold? What does looking at these identities bring up for me?

### Which identities are most important to me personally? In other words, which identities do I think about most often? Which do I think about least often? Why might that be?

### Which identities does the world around me acknowledge or not acknowledge?

### What can I do with the privilege I have, if any?

### What support can I get for the dis-privilege I have, if any?

### Identities I have that I would like to explore deeper, heal and learn more about?

![susanna-barkataki-warrior-prayer-ocean-rocks-sunset.jpg](//images.ctfassets.net/yjltyw3mtjzt/MSkUqjU89MF0C3VkJPODW/25b82e650345d924c47235370437ec5e/susanna17.jpg) ## Personal Identity, Internal Power, Joys and Personal Quirks It is also helpful to consider all the aspects of our personal identity (*of course impacted by social identity but not defined by it*) that involve personal and internal power. These are things that make us up and contribute to making us unique and powerful! These can weird and quirky. The things we geek out on! They can be things such as personal integrity we’ve upheld, internal power that we’ve exhibited, things we derive joy and fun from! Start by brainstorming your favorite movies, music, art, books and hobbies and things that bring you joy! ### Here are a few of my examples:

Privileged Identities I Hold
I’m a loving daughter, mother and sister I have run a half marathon I’ve done many 10 day silent retreats I’ve fasted for a cause I’ve stood up to injustice and risked my career for what I believe and I’ve stood up when someone was bullying someone else I love Ravi Shankar, Tokimonsta, and the Bajans my family temple sings I love Slavic Literature, anything by Wasily Kandinsky, poetry of the Harlem Renaissance and Bengali art from the 18th -20th c. I love to hike, be in nature, meditate, climb mountains, run and now paddle on the lakes in Florida I love to dance to conscious hip hop...

Privileged Identities I Hold

I’m a loving daughter, mother and sister I have run a half marathon

I’ve done many 10 day silent retreats

I’ve fasted for a cause

I’ve stood up to injustice and risked my career for what I believe and I’ve stood up when someone was bullying someone else

I love Ravi Shankar, Tokimonsta, and the Bajans my family temple sings

I love Slavic Literature, anything by Wasily Kandinsky, poetry of the Harlem Renaissance and Bengali art from the 18th -20th c.

I love to hike, be in nature, meditate, climb mountains, run and now paddle on the lakes in Florida

I love to dance to conscious hip hop...

### Brainstorm Your Personal Identity

Privileged Identities I Hold

### Considering personal identity can be incredibly powerful for how we might bring art, ritual, spirit and personal power to bear in healing systemic injustice and overcoming internalized and external oppression. __The following are useful resources for further reading:__ Adams, M., L. A. Bell, and P. Griffin, eds. 2007. *[Teaching for diversity and social justice: A sourcebook](https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-for-Diversity-and-Social-Justice/Adams-Bell/p/book/9781138023345)*, 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. Goodman, D. 2001. *[Promoting diversity and social justice: Educating people from privileged groups.](https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/promoting-diversity-and-social-justice/book10679)* Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Johnson, A. 2006. *[Privilege, power and difference](https://www.agjohnson.us/books/privilege/)*, 2nd ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield. Kimmel, M., and A. Ferber. 2010. *[Privilege: A reader](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813350034/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_JqjYFbFD11P5C)*, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Westview Press. Kivel, P. 2002. *[Uprooting racism: How white people can work for racial justice.](http://paulkivel.com/books/uprooting-racism-4th-edition/)* Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada: New Society Press.

*Adapted by Susanna Barkataki from Ignite! - An Anti-Racist Toolkit, Allan J. Johnson’s book Power, Privilege and Difference 4 Worlds of History at USC Calis Center*

© Ignite | Yoga and Wellness Institute | 2020-21

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