PSA: You Don't Have To Let Microaggressions Go

**I recorded this video three weeks ago!**

Racial microaggressions are behaviors that are not overtly racist but still cause the damaging effects of racism; i.e. dehumanization, discrimination, etc. This unintended discrimination generally manifests itself in the form insulting and/or dismissive behavior, reinforcement of stereotypes, or brief, every day exchanges meant to demean, degrade, or cause discomfort to a minority group on behalf of the majority group.

Psychologist and Columbia University professor Derald Wing Sue defines microaggressions as "...send[ing] denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership," and she describes microaggressions as generally happening below the awareness of well-intentioned members of the dominant culture. Microaggressions are considered to be different from deliberate acts of racism (such as the use of slurs or epithets), because the people perpetrating microaggressions often intend no offense and are completely unaware they are causing harm.

Letting microaggressions go reinforces the behavior, and Black people are trained to let let these things go, it was a part of our colonization.

Stop. Take up space. Make white people uncomfortable.

Challenge them when they say out of pocket things, especially people you don't know in public places. A lot of the time all it even takes is a direct question forcing them to recognize their ignorance and hatefulness, even if they are not intentionally being that way.

Sidenote: While microaggressions are often used when speaking about race, it is also possible to be the victim of microaggressions for many other 'isms'- like sexism or homophobia, with the use of flippant, disparaging remarks meant to other you and your behavior. You don't have to accept this, and the people making these remarks are not your friends.

Links:

'What If white People Experienced Microaggressions?' (MTV Decoded):
   • If Microaggressions Happened to White...  

'21 Racial Microaggressions You Hear On A Daily Basis:'
http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/racia...

Microaggression Theory (WIkipedia):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microag...

Tumblr posts on micro aggression:

http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com/...

http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com/...

http://sensei-aishitemasu.tumblr.com/...