Storytelling and Catharsis in Prison: Identity Trees as Elicitation and a Means of Sharing Black Women’s Narratives

This chapter explores the use of identity trees in learning about the lived experiences of Black women. The task acted as a visual and narrative means to explore how race and gender as societal social constructions shaped Back women’s identity and lived experiences prior to their imprisonment. The discussions and illustrations of the completed identity trees in this chapter immerse the reader into the life histories of these Black women. The tree task also elicited intriguing dialogue regarding families, relationships, hierarchies, and Black women’s bodies. The identity tree task provided invaluable context into the lives of these Black women and in doing so created a more comprehensive understanding of the trauma and challenges they carry with them into the prison. The final part of the chapter discusses the systemic racism and disadvantage Black women faced in prison, with a focus on the gendered and racialised microaggressions they encountered from prison staff. Black women navigated and endured such microaggressions by adopting a strong unwavering impression management demonstrated at the end of the chapter.