Narrative Theater to Examine and Mitigate Anti-Black Racism Within Occupational Therapy.

Theater has long-standing roots in social justice and holds promise for reducing racist attitudes and behaviors. Objectives of this study were to (a) collect and theatrically portray narratives from Black occupational therapy students and practitioners to a national audience and (b) examine the impact of the theatrical performance on anti-Black racism among attendees. The Identity Development Evolution and Sharing (IDEAS) model guided translation of narratives into a filmed performance. Paired t-test of pre/post administration of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Stigma (AAQ-S) measured changes in stigma beliefs. Qualitative thematic analysis of an open-ended post-survey question elucidated experiences of the performance. The performance engendered significant decreases in stigma; qualitative data elucidated potential mechanisms of change. This study provides insight into experiences of anti-Black racism within occupational therapy and offers a promising means for occupational therapists to engage in anti-Black racism.

A Mixed-method Analysis of Community-Engaged Theatre Illuminates Black Women's Experiences of Racism and Addresses Healthcare Inequities by Targeting Provider Bias.

Theatre has been a powerful means of eliciting social change. This paper describes methods and outcomes of a theatre project to reduce healthcare inequities experienced by Black women. We conducted narrative interviews with a convenience sample of Black women and conducted thematic analysis of interview transcripts to learn about their experiences of healthcare and to inform development of a professional theatrical production. To assess the impact of the performance on the audience, we used a single post-test concurrent mixed-methods design using a self-created Likert-type survey that included space for open-ended responses. Ten Black women completed narrative interviews. Thematic analysis revealed 5 main themes: being ignored, being accused, being talked-down to, fearing harm, and being hurt. Narratives were used to create a script that centered on these themes, and that was professionally produced and performed. Audience members (n = 113, 25% healthcare providers) produced a mean total post-test score of 19.28 (agree/strongly agree) on a 25-point survey with 2 items scoring in the 2 to 3 range (disagree/not sure). Thematic analysis data revealed the extent to which Black women experienced discrimination in multiple settings. Quantitative survey data suggested audience members conceptually understood and were aware of inequity, but open-ended responses revealed this information was new for some, and prior knowledge for others. The audience reported planning to change personal behaviors that may contribute to inequity. Participants were unsure if they had contributed to inequity in the past. The performance stimulated conversation about implicit bias and discrimination and encouraged audience members to examine their contributions to the problem. Future pre-post studies are needed to better assess the impact of the performance. Theatre has the potential to illuminate the extent and nature of discrimination in healthcare and society, and to foster conversations that allow audience members to consider their own potential contributions to discrimination.