Derald Wing Sue, a professor of counseling psychology at Columbia University, defines microaggressions as “brief and commonplace daily verbal or behavioral indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insights that potentially have a harmful or unpleasant psychological impact on the target person or group.”
Resources
This video explains what microaggressions and microinsults are through the scope of college students.
This article from the Edvocate shares an inventory of microaggressions that students across the United States have reported in their classroom settings. Take a look at these examples and think about whether you’ve experienced or committed any of these microaggressions and the effects they may have had on you or the recipient.
This video, narrated by Derald Wing Sue, explores microaggressions through the lens of the movies we watch.
Reflection
What are some challenges to identifying microaggressions?
Have you experienced a microaggression? Based on your gender? Race? Sexual orientation? Disability? How did it make you feel? How did you react?