HeadshotAllegra Oxborough is a Critically Conscious Researcher and Founder of AERO Creative. Allegra is co-leading an interactive workshop at EPIC2022 titled “Autoethnography and Whiteness: a Self-Reflective Anti-Bias Workshop for White Folks”.

Tell us about yourself in one sentence.

I am a researcher and filmmaker, using consciousness-raising practices and ethnographic training to inform my work.

Describe your presentation in a few words.

Our workshop shares a practice and tools for white people to become aware of their conditioning and biases.

Why/how did you decide on this particular topic?

Many of us white people think of BIPOC folks when it comes to race, but are not fully aware of how racialization has shaped our own experiences in the world. This practice raises awareness and consciousness around the socialization, conditioning, and social norms that we experience as white people in white supremacy culture. We started the group a couple of years ago and have each been transformed by our practice. The practice influences our work and personal lives, and allows us to be more conscious people in the world. We want to share these tools with others.

Why did you choose the Wildcard format?

Because our workshop is interactive, the Wildcard format works well.

What do you hope attendees will take away from the session?

We hope that attendees will feel empowered and excited by the possibility of breaking down unconscious bias, and unexamined behaviors and ways of thinking.

How are you preparing for this session at EPIC2022? Do you all have different preparation methods?

We are all working collaboratively on a shared document, and meeting for run-throughs in advance. We are also continuing our practice group, which the workshop is based on.

What was the process of writing the proposal? Was it collaborative or spearheaded by one author?

The process was collaborative. Kelly is a great writer, so she is critical in editing and making things clear and well-worded. Nate has a unique perspective among us, working in a corporate research role, so he was able to draw our attention to areas that might need clarity in thinking from an attendee perspective.

Is this your first EPIC conference? What are you looking forward to at EPIC2022?

This is my second EPIC conference. In 2019, I presented a film and had some really great conversations around after the screening. I’m looking forward to the conversations that will arise from our workshop and the other workshops and presentations. I’m also looking forward to exploring Amsterdam 🙂

If you could recommend a book/article/podcast to our community, what would you recommend and why?

I’d recommend the podcast called “The Cure for Chronic Pain with Nicole Sachs, LCSW.”  This podcast introduces and explains a framework around chronic pain, to empower those suffering to find relief. Nicole Sachs bases her work on a process of un-repressing emotional pain. This process of un-repressing, excavating, and releasing emotional pain has been life-changing for me, and contributes to the larger consciousness-raising approach I operate within.