Storytelling as Art and Intervention: Using Participatory Design to Develop an Antiracist Virtual Reality Experience

While microaggressions are common, they are rarely challenged in real time; in fact, the literature suggests that the most common response to experiencing/witnessing microaggressions is to not respond. In this article, we describe the process of using qualitative methods and participatory design to identify barriers to responding to racial microaggressions and inform the development of a virtual reality film that depicts different ways of responding to, or challenging, racial microaggressions. The goals in developing this research-based intervention and educational tool are 1) to use storytelling to highlight the consequences of not responding to racism, and 2) to demonstrate effective strategies for responding to racism in everyday situations, thereby challenging the racial status quo in a society that is purportedly colorblind, and where silence in the face of microaggressions is the norm.