Activity on Exploring the Impact of Skin Color

(60 minutes)
This can be an emotional and uncomfortable activity. It should be used after the participants have
already worked on developing trust and taken part in other activities that explore race. The
facilitator for this activity will need a high level of skill and understanding about structural
racism.
Goals:

To illustrate the different experiences participants may have based on the color of their
skin.

To provoke thinking and dialogue about the different experiences and perceptions.

Part 1: Skin color survey (35 minutes)

1. Introduction:
This activity is meant to help us go deeper in our discussion about race. It may make some
people uncomfortable and some may think this is contrived. Remember, one of the goals is to
put the issues some people in our community are thinking about on the table. After the
activity, we will discuss your reactions, thoughts on the issue, and how it impacts our
community.
2. Ask each person to fill out all of the questions in the survey. They should answer according
to skin color only! This exercise is not about ethnicity, social status, gender, or sexual
orientation. It is solely about how they are perceived based on their skin color.
3. Participants should mark True for any statement that is usually true for them or if they have
never thought about it before. Write down an False for any statement that is rarely true.
4. After completing the survey, each person should add up and write down the number of
True statements.
5. Ask participants to stand up and get into numerical order from highest to lowest based on the
number of True statements they have.
6. Debrief the activity with the group. Give them time to think between questions. Its okay if
there is silence for a while. Make sure they say out loud what they notice. Stay aware of how
different participants seem to be feeling.

Ask them to discuss the following questions:

What do you notice?

How do you feel when you look at the other end of the line?

How does this connect to what other people feel?

Part 2: Thinking about privilege (20 minutes)

After there has been a good discussion following the skin color activity, read the following
statement and ask people to react to it:
In this society, people with light skin have advantages-or privilege-over people whose
skin is darker. This advantage is often invisible and people who benefit from it often do
not see it.
Discuss the following questions:

What do you think of this idea?

Is it true in your experience?

Part 3: Closing (5 minutes)

Tell the participants:
There were lots of feelings of frustration, sadness, and anger today but, I want to remind you that
dialogue to change is a process. Now to get some of the feelings out into the open, I will read
some words that express the feelings that other study circle participants have told us. After each
word, raise your hand if the word is how you are feeling right now. You can raise your hand for
every word that relates to your feelings:

Frustrated
Surprised
Hopeless
Embarrassed
Guilty

Empowered
Victimized
Vindicated
Validated
Angry

Skin Color Survey

Directions:
1. Read each statement.
2. Write True in the box if the statement is usually true for you or if you have never thought
about the statement before.
3. Write False in the box if the statement is rarely true for you.
4. At the end of the list, add up how many statements you wrote True.

True/False
1. I can be around people with my skin color most of the time.
2. If I go shopping, I never think that a sales person or security guard will
follow me around because of my skin color.
3. I can turn on the television or look at the front page of the newspaper
and see many people with my skin color in a positive way.
4. School curricula and books frequently show people with my skin color.
5. I can use checks or credit cards and not worry that my skin color will
make someone think that I dont have the money.
6. I can swear or be rude without worrying that people will think its
because people with my skin color have bad morals.
7. I rarely talk (or think about talking) to my child or the children in my
life about how they might be perceived because of their skin color.
8. I rarely feel like I am being asked to speak for all people with my skin
color.
9. Communities that have large numbers of people with my skin color are
considered good communities.
10. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the person in charge, I will
be facing a person with my skin color.
11. If a police officer pulls me over (or if store security stops me in the hall),
I can be sure that I havent been targeted because of my skin color.
12. I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, and
children's magazines featuring people with my skin color.

13. American history books show many people with my skin color.
14. I can get a job or get into school without worrying that people will think
I got the job or got in because of Affirmative Action.
15. I never worry that my skin color will impact the way I am treated by a
doctor or nurse.
16. I can comfortably avoid, ignore, or minimize the impact of racism on
my life.
17. I can sign up for most clubs, activities, or organizations without
worrying that I will be one of the few people with my skin color.
18. If I have a bad experience, I rarely ask myself if it had anything to do
with my skin color.
19. When I attend conferences in our field, most attendees have my skin
color.
20. I can wear casual clothes to most meetings without worrying that my
skin color will make people think that I am poor or uneducated.
Number of True statements:

Adapted from the Pacific Educational Group and Peggy McIntoshs Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack of White
Privilege.