For several historical periods, movement behavior was dictated and prescribed in strict dominance and submission reciprocals, known as racial etiquettes. Historically, state Jim Crow laws or social customs governed the gestures and postures of Black persons, who were to convey docile compliance, and White persons were to display superiority.  While many think of racism as an issue of the past, scholarly literature states that “modern racism” does indeed have a form, known as racial microagressions. Currently the “Black Lives Matter” Movement has implored all to reconsider whether we truly live in the “post-racial” society espoused by many after the election of President Obama.  Evaluations, values, beliefs, and attitudes about one’s self and others contribute to the development of body image and expressions of racism. How racism is imbedded into our cultural idealization and denigrations and impact the therapeutic use of movement will be explored. Original webcast date: February 11, 2015.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will gain foundational understandings about the definitions, theory, and clinical considerations about race, ethnicity, and racism.

2. Participants will gain insights about how the historical context contributes to modern day racism, known as microagressions.

3. Participants will gain foundational understanding of historical psychological theories of race and how they potentially inform current day client/clinician interaction