By Adhya Gummadi
Following the deaths of Tony Mcdade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, many have come together to protest their wrongful deaths as well as the injustice the black community had to face before these recent events.
With these protests, discussions regarding inequality due to race have also become more preeminent. For example, white leaders have been able to reflect on the privilege they have and have used their voice to enforce change. The minorities, primarily the African American community, have also been voicing their experiences speaking out on the many microaggressions they have experienced.
What are Microaggressions?
Microaggressions are defined as everyday intentional (or sometimes unintentional) interactions that show a certain bias toward minority groups.
As said in the prefix of the term, “micro,” these are small statements though they can have great negative impacts on a citizen’s well-being and mental health. This concept reinforces white supremacy and with the fight for racial equality, it is the perfect time to end the use of microaggressions and there is impactful action that can be taken to stop its use.
Examples of Microaggressions
Microaggressions are extremely common in a racial minorities’ daily environment and this is due to misconceptions that have risen from false labels.
For instance for African Americans, a common microaggression is “Wow, you articulate your words very well.” This statement essentially is insinuating that the black person did not fit the white person’s offensive stereotype of them, which is why they were given this supposed “compliment” in the first place.
Another major microaggression is the phrase “All lives matter.” Although the statement itself contains a good meaning, the phrase was designed only to ignore the racial injustice that was highlighted by the long term police brutality to the black community. This phrase ultimately claims that although the black community has faced more racial injustice than the white community, they still need an equal amount of justice.
Some microaggressions can be applied to all racial minorities. For instance, the phrase “When I look at you, I don’t see color” is sometimes mentioned with positive intent, such as trying to be inclusive to all people. However, it is considered offensive as it could indicate that you are being ignorant to people of different races. Ignorance could indicate that the experiences people had to go through because of their race become fully negated.
How to Respond to Microaggressions
Giving recognition to these microaggressions from the perspective of a minority could be difficult. However, doing so will assist those accidentally or intentionally using microaggressions to be discouraged from doing so. However, this can only be done with the proper responses to these remarks which is why you need to follow a certain framework to base your counter statement to the particular microaggression.
First, you want to recognize if there is a microaggression and what it is addressing. Do not feel pressured to respond and only do so if you feel confident enough to speak up. Allow yourself to have emotions after being exposed to the microaggression whether you are sad, mad, embarrassed, or are experiencing a different type of negative emotion. Emotions are meant to be embraced, so it is important to consider them to decide how to respond. You should also think about how important it is and if it is important enough for you to defend. Lastly, you should take into account how you may be affected in the future by either replying or staying silent, but that depends entirely on the type of microaggression and your personal feelings.
Next, you have to have the conversation with the person who committed the microaggression. The person who attempted microaggression in the first place may get defensive when someone tries to counter the statement, to deflect the idea that they are racist. So, the best possible way to try to call out the microaggression is by talking to the one who said it, as a way to find the meaning behind why they believed that statement to begin with.
Lastly, you should give the microaggression user a chance to try to defend their statement. Explain the way you had originally interpreted it and why that microaggression should no longer be said.
It is significant to know that confronting microaggressive statements allows you to protect your self-security, ultimately being one of the best methods of injustice resistance possible.
How to Avoid Using Microaggressions
To those not part of the racial minorities, you have the chance to use your voice and end racial injustice not just in terms of police brutality, but for their everyday lives.
Accept that color blindness will not be effective. The concept of being able to look beyond someone’s race is not as good as it sounds. Hence, this will then ignore the difficulties that people have had because of their race.
A major way you can avoid microaggressions is by having empathy. Try to put yourself in a minority's shoes to understand the struggles they need to go through. This will also help you better understand where they are coming from when they say certain microaggressive statements are offensive. This also means believing minorities when they reflect on the difficulties they need to experience, and use your privilege to learn and think about this.
People have also unintentionally used microaggressions in the past without understanding why it would be insulting. If you do end up being in this situation, do not become defensive when being told why that statement was wrong. Instead, accept that you made a mistake, learn from it, and move on.
Most importantly, question your beliefs. The main cause for microaggressions is judging solely off appearance. The reason this happened in the first place is due to the environment you were raised in and those you were associated with. This in turn causes your brain to work similar to how you were raised. Seeing everyone for who they are rather than what they look like will certainly reduce microaggression rates.
Sources:
Ella Washington. “When and How to Respond to Microaggressions” Harvard Business Review, July 3 2020, https://okcfox.com/news/local/how-to-be-an-ally-for-the-blm-movement
Kristen Rogers “Dear anti-racist allies: Here’s how to respond to microaggressions” CNN, June 6 , 2020 https://www.swaay.com/ally-resources-black-lives-matter
Andrew Limbong. “Microaggressions Are A Big Deal: How To Talk Them Out And When To Walk Away” NPR, June 9, 2020. https://www.greatbigstory.com/guides/how-to-become-a-better-black-lives-matter-ally
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