‘In 1970, Harvard psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce PhD coined the term “microaggression” to describe the dismissive, insulting, and disrespectful treatment suffered by Black individuals at the hands of non-Black individuals.’ This term has since expanded to include dismissive, insulting, and disrespectful treatment of all identity groups. It is important to note that at US2 we consider any individually perpetrated aggression a microaggression, be it an in invalidation, insult, or assault (physical or verbal). While the word micro- insinuates small, microaggressions are not less harmful than macroaggressions nor are macroaggressions more harmful than microaggressions. Beyond sharing six common microaggressions, this article suggests how to gracefully move on after realizing that you’ve committed some of these microaggressions in the past – insight that is equally helpful for adults and youths.
Read more here.
What racial microaggressions have you committed or witnessed recently? Since the article suggests you not go back to apologize, what will you do differently moving forward?