Black Lives Matter

Have you ever experienced, witnessed or even committed a microaggression?

• "When I look at you, I don't see color."
• "You are so articulate"
• I'm not a racist, I have several black friends"
• "As a woman, I know what you go through as a racial minority"
• "I believe the most qualified person should get the job"
• "May I touch your hair?"
• "I can't be racist because I'm a person of color"
• "You're one of the good ones"
• "Where are you from" /"Where were you born"
• Saying "You people..."
• "Indian giver"
• "That's so gay"
• "I jewed him down"
• That's so White of you"
• "We got gypped"
• Imitating accents or dialects!

Microaggressions are not just things people say, they are also reflected in the structure of communities, institutions, and in popular culture. Some behaviors are microaggressions as well. For example:

• A white person clutching their purse or checking wallet in the presence of a Black or Latino person
• A store owner following a non-White person around the store
• A college or university with buildings all named after upper middle class heterosexual white males
• Television shows without any representation of people of color
• Television shows with only stereotypical and representations of people of color
• Overcrowding in public schools in communities of color
• Opening businesses and only selling stereotypical things like fried chicken, liquor, and hair weaves.
• Mistaking a person of color for a service worker

Some microaggressions many Black people experience on a regular basis include:

• Assumptions of criminality
• Exoticization
• Assumptions of intellectual inferiority
• Criticism for cultural communication styles, behaviors, and styles of dress

MIcroaggressions can have a significant impact on people's mental and physical health. Studies show the more racial microaggressions people of color face, the more likely they are to suffer from depressive symptoms and a negative view of the world. They can also cause anxiety and trauma leading to a myriad of negative experiences (Advancing Justice contributors).

• Restorative Justice Center at UC Berkeley
• Microaggressions in the Classroom from Messiah University

1. Reactions to Witnessing Ethnic Microaggressions: An Experimental Study.

   Academic Journal

   By: Torres, Lucas; Reveles, Alexandra K.; Mata-Greve, Felicia; Schwartz, Sarah; Domenech Rodriguez, Melanie M. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology. Feb2020, Vol. 39 Issue 2, p141-164. 24p. DOI: 10.1521/jscp.2020.39.02.141. , Database: Academic Search Ultimate

   Subjects: MICROAGGRESSIONS; SYSTOLIC blood pressure; ATTITUDES of ethnic groups; FORM perception; MULTILEVEL models 

2. Challenging Definitions of Psychological Trauma: Connecting Racial Microaggressions and Traumatic Stress.

   Academic Journal

   By: Nadal, Kevin L.; Erazo, Tanya; King, Rukiya. Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology. Winter2019, Vol. 11 Issue 2, p2-16. 15p. DOI: 10.33043/jsacp.11.2.2-16. , Database: SocINDEX with Full Text

   Subjects: Secondary traumatic stress; Emotional trauma; Microaggressions; Definitions; Multiple regression analysis

3. African American professionals in higher education: experiencing and coping with racial microaggressions.

   Academic Journal

   By: DeCuir-Gunby, Jessica T.; Johnson, Oriana T.; Womble Edwards, Callie; McCoy, Whitney N.; White, Angela M. Race, Ethnicity & Education. Jul2020, Vol. 23 Issue 4, p492-508. 17p. DOI: 10.1080/13613324.2019.1579706. , Database: SocINDEX with Full Text

   Subjects: Racism; Job stress; Work environment; Historically black colleges & universities; African American college teachers; Higher education; Microaggressions