Structural racism, ethnodrama and belonging in a public psychodrama experience

Abstract

This article describes a public psychodrama experience based on the methodology of ethnodrama, aiming to foster active listening and collective reflection on the impacts of structural racism. The activity, entitled “Racist, me? – a meeting to go beyond structural silence”, demonstrated how psychodrama can reveal cultural conserves, expand racial literacy, and strengthen group bonds. Poetry, dramatized scenes, music, and emotional sharing triggered individual and collective catharses that fostered critical awareness, empathy, and ethical responsibility among participants. The experience revealed ethnodrama as a dialogical and transformative resource, particularly by recognizing the narratives of Black individuals as legitimate expressions of knowledge and resistance in the face of oppressive social structures.