Lisa Marie Rollins

Cracking Open the Dialogue of Our Families: Racial Micro Aggressions & Whiteness

 June 13, 2015 1pm-2:20pm 

“As transracial adoptees, cultural workers and authors, we—Lisa Marie Rollins and Nicky Sa-eun Schildkraut—have both written extensively about negotiating racism and white privilege in adoptive families. These difficult aspects also commonly play out among interracial and multiracial family members and relatives. It is a challenge to delve deeply into these painful moments, especially when they occur with family members and community we are close with, or with whom we spent our childhood years. This panel will be structured in two parts. First, a panel where we plan to each read a short personal essay based on our experiences about micro aggressions in our families. Next an interactive workshop, where we would lead participants in short, guided writing exercises around exploring their own experiences and providing space for sharing stories. Finally we will work as a group to develop collaborative strategies that will support ourselves and push our families to have more open dialogues around racial difference, hybridity, and privilege.”

This workshop is targeted to adult adoptees and adult multiracial sons/ daughters with secondary attention focused on those considering parenting or those parenting. All are welcome.

Lisa Marie holds a B.A. in English Literature and Women’s Studies, an M.A. in Cultural Studies focusing in African Diasporic Women’s Literature and an M.A. in African Diaspora Studies from University of California Berkeley.

She is currently touring her acclaimed solo show, Ungrateful Daughter: One Black Girl’s Story of being adopted by a White Family… that aren’t Celebrities, which is based on her own experiences growing up as the adopted black daughter of white parents.

Lisa Marie has appeared on NPR, CNN, KPFA Berkeley, KPFK Los Angeles and awarded the honor of one of Colorlines Magazine’s “Innovators to Watch” for her social work focusing on adoption around the world, but specifically Afro-adoptees.

For more info on Lisa Marie’s background and generous social work, visit her blog:

https://birthproject.wordpress.com/about-lisa-marie/

Twitter: @thirdrootprod