Unveiling the Bias Within: The Power of a Single Narrative to Oppress the P in Participatory

Abstract

I am a multicultural Haitian American who identifies as Black. I don’t see myself as just American or just African or just Haitian. My worldview is a conglomeration of the experiences I have lived and the many places in the world I have traveled (Australia, France, Turkey, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Belgium, Italy, Madagascar, Cape Verde, Senegal, South Africa, the Congo, and Mauritania, to name a few). I am a mother of four daughters. My children and youth in general are my future. I will do anything I can do to help them grow and care for more than themselves. I like to have fun, explore, have adventures, try different things, and challenge myself. I love traveling and learning about different cultures. I have learned that I need to learn how to better connect with people who are different from myself. It wasn’t until engaging in the critical self-analysis necessary to write this chapter that I realized how my perceptions guided how I judged the cultures I encountered on my travels. I am more aware that when I experience a new culture and society, I need to go in without preconceived notions and opinions.