Disarming racial microaggressions: Microintervention strategies for targets, White allies, and bystanders.

Abstract

Given the immense harm inflicted on individuals and groups of color via prejudice and discrimination, it becomes imperative for our nation to begin the process of disrupting, dismantling, and disarming the constant onslaught of micro- and macroaggressions. For too long, acceptance, silence, passivity, and inaction have been the predominant, albeit ineffective, strategies for coping with microaggressions. Inaction does nothing but support and proliferate biased perpetrator behaviors which occur at individual, institutional and societal levels. This article introduces a new strategic framework developed for addressing microaggressions that moves beyond coping and survival to concrete action steps and dialogues that targets, allies, and bystanders can perform (microinterventions). A review of responses to racist acts, suggest that microaggression reactions/interventions may be primarily to (a) remain passive, retreat, or give up; (b) strike back or hurt the aggressor; (c) stop, diminish, deflect, or put an end to the harmful act; (d) educate the perpetrator; (e) validate and support the targets; (f) act as an ally; (g) seek social support; (h) enlist outside authority or institutional intervention; or (h) achieve any combination of these objectives. We organize these responses into four major strategic goals of microinterventions: (a) make the invisible visible, (b) disarm the microaggression, (c) educate the perpetrator, and (d) seek external reinforcement or support. The objectives and rationale for each goal are discussed, along with specific microintervention tactics to employ and examples of how they are executed.

Racial Microaggression, Overt Discrimination, and Distress: (In)Direct Associations with Psychological Adjustment

“…Earlier publications on microaggression have emphasized its "subtle and stunning" nature (Pierce, 1970) and the psychological burden to navigate the catch-22 situation (Sue, Capodilupo, et al, 2007). Yet, more recently, it appears that microaggression is considered distinct from overt discrimination because the former is much more frequent than the latter, whereas the ambiguity surrounding microaggression incidents is de-emphasized (see Sue et al, 2019). If that is the case, perhaps microaggression and "overt" discrimination are simply aspects of a same psychological construct that vary in severity and frequency.…”

Scholar Identity Development: A Book Writing Journey and Tips for Undergraduate Mentors

“…Consciousness raising is the act of intentionally raising awareness about privilege and oppression (Leonard, 1996) and has been shown as a likely effective intervention in reducing bias and prejudice (Paluck & Green, 2009) and in increasing knowledge of racism in college students (Aldana, Rowley, Checkoway, & RichardsSchuster, 2012). Specifically related to microaggressions, a microintervention of making the invisible visible calls for bringing the microag gression to the foreground of awareness (Sue et al, 2019). Having participants watch repeated videos that depict racial and ethnic microaggressions and asking participants to reflect on the content of the video may act as powerful stimulus in facilitating change.…”

“…Finally, we asked them to identify the theme (i.e., ascription of intelligence, secondclass citizen, assumption of criminality, pathologizing cultural values, environmental, alien in own land, colorblindness, myth of meritocracy, denial of individual racism, or not sure) for each microaggression. For specific examples tied to specific categories and themes, readers are referred to and Sue et al (2019). Respondents could select multiple responses for each item.…”

A Meta‐Ethnography of Family Literacy Scholarship: Ways With Metaphors and Silence

“…She maintained that Heath "overemphasizes choice and does not account for the role of the Jim Crow laws and illegal acts of terrorism in encouraging much of the [African American] communities' separateness" (p. 75). Concerns about the systemic failure of scholars to address racism have been articulated by scholars of color and others who have continued to document inequitable schooling experiences for students of color (Gorski, 2016;Kirkland, Ortlieb, & Majors, 2017;Ladson-Billings, 2017;Noguera, 2016;Sue, Alsaidi, Awad, Glaeser, Calle, & Mendez, 2019).…”

“…(V. Gadsden, personal communication, June 5, 2018) Thus, although we witnessed an enduring silence in regard to racism across highly cited studies, this does not mean that all literacy scholars have ignored issues of power, privilege, and access. Literacy scholars have drawn on critical perspectives (Freire, 1996;Janks, 2000;Luke, 2000;Shor, 1999), particularly critical race theory (Morrell, 2009;Rogers & Mosley, 2006;Yosso, 2002), to highlight the complexities that accompany teaching in underserved communities. For example, Paris and Alim (2014) described a "culturally sustaining pedagogy" (p. 85) that offers a "productive" and "loving critique" (p. 85) of asset-based approaches; they argued that literacy education must both "honor and value the rich and varied practices of communities of color" and support "access to power in a changing nation" (p. 90).…”