What's Race Got to Do with It?

This is a good, short introductory game, especially for diverse groups where participants don’t know each other. It works for any size group, provided there’s enough space so people don’t bump into each other. Limit the area where people can roam and/or the time allowed to keep things under control and make sure people have a chance to trade roles. If you have an odd number, pair the extra person with one of the facilitators or create a group of three and have one person lead two people at once. Allow approximately 10-15 minutes.

Have everyone pair up (ideally with someone who is racially different). Ask one person in each pair to put on a blindfold while the other takes hold of his/her partner’s hand and leads them around the room, hallway or vicinity. After a while, have them switch roles. When the exercise is over, ask participants how they felt about it. What was challenging? Did they prefer leading versus being blindfolded? Why?