microaggressions – Contemporary Racism

Difficulty Setting: White

Teagan Richichi — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:20:32 +0000

A metaphor for life in America being White is that it’s like having the difficulty of a video game set on easy mode. I first heard this metaphor when I was a teenager, approximately in middle school or early high school, and it’s stuck with me since then. The premise is simple, and the metaphor can be expanded on. It’s not just that White is the easy setting, it’s that those who are playing at ...

Dear POC, It’s Not Your Fault

Julianna Muñoz — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 18:30:36 +0000

Being a person of color you’re doomed to experience microaggressions, it’s almost like a rite of passage for us. Almost to say, “I’ve made it mom! The white girl in my class just asked me where my family is “from, from!”. Funny enough, I did not experience a true microaggression until I moved away to go to college on the east coast. Microaggressions can come in many different forms, and they happen so quickly it ...

Microaggressions: What To Do?

MG — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 17:59:32 +0000

There are many things that individuals may or may not notice right away. Sometimes we don’t realize what just happened within our surroundings, or the train of thought hits us later on. Microaggressions are one of these things. There is a sense of hesitation and anxiety that can overcome us when we witness microaggressions in front of us. Should I say or do something about it? Should I jump to intervene in the situation? What ...

Representation from Disney is a “Threat’ to White People?

Carly — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 14:12:50 +0000

Why is it that white people seem to be so threatened by the idea of representation and equity? White people seem to believe that they are entitled to being represented through the media, even in spaces where Black individuals are requesting more POC (people of color) characters and stories. For example, Disney has recently been under some backlash from audiences about choices for their theme parks and movies. Simply because of people attempting to keep ...

Stepping off the Moving Walkway!

Danielleh — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 13:59:55 +0000

Imagine you are at the airport, standing still on a moving sidewalk, you feel the breeze in your hair as you get closer to where you intend to go. This is the overall nature of the well-known moving walkway analogy. This famous analogy comes from Dr. Tatum as she understands it by comparing it to an “ongoing cycle of racism is like a moving walkway at the airport.” Overall this concept sets an understanding and ...

Yellow Light!

Piper Schwenk — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 13:41:35 +0000

Is it safer to speed up or slow down at a yellow light? Slow down! Slowing down is safer for yourself and others when driving on the road. Let’s take this yellow light idea and apply it to race talk. Slowing down when talking to others is one of the most important steps to combat implicit bias. What is implicit bias? Implicit bias is unconscious opinions and beliefs that are not consciously thought and can ...

Colleges Do Not Do Enough to Protect Students of Color

Isabella Metzger — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:04:02 +0000

Imagine this: you are a college student in a creative writing class. Your (White) professor has asked everyone in the class to write a short story about what family means to them and how their family has impacted their worldview. After the professor asks your class if anyone would like to share their story aloud, a Black student states that they would like to share their story about how their father made them into the ...

Let’s Be Biased Together

Ibrahim Sidibeh — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 18:39:35 +0000

I am biased. You are, too. Let’s accept it. Bias is an ingrained part of human nature. We all have preconceived notions, stereotypes, and biases that influence our thoughts, actions, and interactions with the world around us. However, the way our brains navigate the world and interact with every social environment we’re in, we NEED to have biases and generalizations. Our brains need to have shortcuts so they can function efficiently, and we don’t have ...

Am I the Stereotype?

Tania Jaramillo — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 15:38:50 +0000

What is a stereotype? Social psychology defines a stereotype as “any thought widely adopted about specific types of individuals or certain ways of behaving intended to represent the entire group of those individuals or behaviors as a whole.” Stereotypes are generalizations made about people and the groups in which those people belong to based on their appearances and behaviors. Do you know of any stereotypes made about you? Your skin color? Your religion? Your ethnicity? ...

So What About Your Babies: A Conversation About “Good Genes”

Silvia Mejia-Armilla — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 15:39:45 +0000

Starting with around the age of 10, I recall family members asking me what type of men I liked. Hispanic? White? Often these were the only two options presented to me, later followed by “you shouldn’t date black men, you have to better the race”. Thinking back on it now, my options were so limited so early on, it was engrained in me that marrying someone of a darker skin tone than my own would ...

Public Service Announcement: Exotic isn’t a compliment

Savannah Connolly — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 20:00:03 +0000

“Wow you’re so exotic, I wish I looked different like you!” This is a sentiment many women of color hear and experience throughout their lives. From well meaning friends to romantic partners to strangers who pass you on the street. They are all just trying their best to hype you up, and give you the praise you deserve! Well, I’m here to break the news and set the record straight. Calling someone exotic isn’t the ...

Minority Spotlights the Minority Spotlight

Maia Brint — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 17:12:21 +0000

The minority spotlight effect is something that might seem minute and insignificant in the moment, but it can be frustrating for students of color and internalized differently by them as well. I heard about an incident in a class with a faculty member of color where the class consistently tackled social issues, broaching topics including gender, race, and sexuality. The teacher would consistently look to students of color in hopes that they would chime in ...

Mental Health in 2018: If You’re Black, Can You Never Come Back?

Lily Josephs — Wed, 09 May 2018 12:47:31 +0000

According to a study done by the Office of Minority Health through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as adults, Black and African American males are 20 percent more likely to suffer from serious psychological distress than adult White males. It was also found that Black and African American males are more likely than White males to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. According to the study, “Black/African Americans hold beliefs related ...

Racism in The Simpsons

Benjamin Starr — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 18:51:07 +0000

The long-running animated series The Simpsons features a character named Apu, an Indian man who works at the local convenience store and is a close friend of the family. When the show first aired in 1989, the character was instantly beloved by viewers and rose to be one of its most popular characters. However, as almost 30 years as past, Apu has become more and more controversial. Last year, Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu released a ...

An Open Letter to My “White” Black Friend

Kyle Watkins — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 18:24:38 +0000

It is very easy, I’ve found, to look out and look around and see behaviors and interactions that are silently swept into the cyclical system that White supremacy has made out of our country. It is valuable as it is easy to analyze and self-educate in response to these observations. A habit equally if not more valuable to the resistance to oppressive systems, however, is the ability to look inward to analyze and learn from ...

Tarte Shape Tape – 50 Shades of White

Mia Shmariahu — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 17:38:17 +0000

Notice anything in this photo? Do you think you’d be able to pick out your shade? Tarte is a cosmetics company, prominent in high-end make-up stores like Sephora and Ulta Beauty. On their website, they boast their dedication to cruelty-free, vegan skincare and cosmetics that are both ecologically friendly and high quality. Tarte has recently made headlines for their controversial new line of Shape Tape Foundation. By glancing at the photo above from the lens ...

Radical Black Love Is the Counternarrative

Wilhelmina Minney — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 17:02:46 +0000

Derald Wing Sue (2005) describes the masternarrative as white talk that “depicts historical and cultural themes of racial progress, of a fair and just society, of equal access and opportunity, of meritocracy, and of colorblindness.” This idea of reality, often held by well intending white people, is one that denies the harmful effects, both past and present, of racism and, thus, helps to perpetuate it. The perpetuation of racism and prejudice can be depicted in ...

“Micro”aggression, Larger Problem

caroline_whiting — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 20:52:56 +0000

Microaggressions are defined as seemingly harmless, everyday comments or actions that send degrading messages to certain individuals because of their race or their group they identify with. All White people are guilty of microaggressions, and most of the time we (White people) don’t even know that we said them or perpetuated them, because that hasn’t been our experience. Well, it is time to acknowledge our mistakes no matter how small or insignificant they seem to ...

Microaggressions: Conscious or Unconscious?

Ziming Han — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 18:04:49 +0000

In our recent world, especially in developed countries, the concept of egalitarianism is accepted more and more widely by people. They believe the world should be a fair place which provides equal opportunity for each person no matter what one’s race, gender, or sexual orientation is. Because of this belief many people pay attention to their conversations and behaviors in order to not act as a racist or sexist. Egalitarianism is not only a inner ...

Holding the Smog-Breathers Accountable

Amanda Fogelman — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 01:24:25 +0000

My mom was born in South Africa, and when I was in the fifth grade, everybody asked why I was not black. I remember thinking how ignorant these kids were, and wondering why they thought everybody born in Africa was automatically a person of color. There were times where I felt bullied, and I was uncertain about my identity. Here I was being told that I should be black, when the color of my skin ...

Stark Realizations

Michael Silverstein — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 19:41:37 +0000

With the presidential election coming up on Tuesday, the next four years of policy are being decided. Looking back at the campaigns leading up to this point, the rhetoric surrounding race has been interesting. Much of the things said about race have been problematic, but prior to this semester I would not have understood why. This semester of classes, with contemporary racism and multicultural psychology has been very eye-opening for me. Coming from a predominately ...

Offensive Graffiti at Our College

jgainsboro — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 19:31:08 +0000

I learned last week that we had an incident at our school with someone writing an anti-Semitic and sexist comment in one of our dorms. I had a conversation with the Dean of Student Life about it. The RA and Head Resident Assistant were apparently alerted that the comment that was written on or near the door of a student. The comment was taken down within four to five hours after being written. Campus Safety has been unable ...

The Concept of White-Washing

VictoriaJean — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 15:25:20 +0000

“I have nothing against Black people. My coworker is Black and he speaks and dresses very well. He acts White. It’s the ones that walk around with their boxers out that I don’t like.” We’ve all heard someone say something like this at some point. One of my best friend’s Dad used to make comments like this all the time, and while it always made me somewhat uncomfortable, I never understood the extent of just ...

Microaggressions & Gaslighting: Is There a Difference?

Haleigh Jacob — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 15:17:00 +0000

Dr. Derald Wing Sue defines microaggressions as, “brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership” (Sue, 2010). Sue divides the different types of microaggressions into three main categories – microinsults, microassaults, and microinvalidations. While microassaults tend to be conscious, microinsults and microinvalidations are usually unconscious discriminatory acts or verbalizations. While all microaggressions are detrimental to the well-beings of members of minority groups, microinvalidations are thought to be the ...

Directorial Racial Choices and their Implications

jgainsboro — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 15:07:32 +0000

I grew up in a mostly-white suburban town. However, I was a part of the musical Once On This Island multiple times. The premise of this musical is that there is a peasant girl (who was traditionally played by a black, female actor) who falls in love with a rich man (traditionally played by a white, male actor). The entire show centers around how these two very different worlds are not allowed to associate and talk to ...

“To Be White is to Be Racist”

mtroyka — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 14:30:31 +0000

The amount of white people who are too engulfed in their white privilege to see the prevalence of racism is frightening. Whether that racism is on a blatant, subtle, individualized or institutionalized level, it’s there, and people need to start realizing it so that we can work towards decreasing it. Just the other day I opened up Facebook to see that someone had posted a news article about a high school teacher in Norman, Oklahoma ...

Institutional Racism on college campuses: I, too, am Harvard

Ave.MariaLewis — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 02:09:47 +0000

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alisonvingiano/21-black-harvard-students-share-their-experiences-through-a The article above was introduced to me recently by one of my friends. While I was going to write about something different this week, this article captured me. Entitled “I, too, am Harvard” you see a preview of a photo project from 21 students of color who attend Harvard university. Each is holding a black dry erase board which dons a common phrase that they often hear and has in some way effected ...

Planet of the Apes or the Obamas?

Chelsey — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 19:09:31 +0000

Recently in the opinions section of a Belgian Newspaper, one article, said to have been submitted from Russian President Vladimir Putin, shows the Obamas depicted as apes. On the picture it says, “First Black President, starts selling weed.” I thought this was a really interesting thing to bring up because it related to the Eberhardt studies that we looked at in class relating Blacks to Apes. Many people make the implicit association of blacks to apes ...

“Wholesome Families”

Annie — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 02:42:21 +0000

Earlier today, a friend of mine posted a link to a commercial made by Honey Maid that features several different families goofing around while sentimental music played in the background. What made this commercial stand out to so many people was the purposeful use of diverse types of families: there’s an interracial family, a family that features a tattooed, “punk rock” looking father, a single dad, and a gay couple. The marketing slogan for the ...

Racism in aisle ’14

Chelsey — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 19:12:50 +0000

Since I have been in this class, it is amazing to me how many things I see on social media sites that relate to everything we are talking about in class. This week I was browsing my Facebook news feed and I saw two posts, one after another, that completely shocked me. A woman, that goes to Muhlenberg, had a post that explained a recent experience with racism. Her post stated: “So I went to ...

Is Prejudice Inevitable?

Ave.MariaLewis — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 05:01:27 +0000

After reading the Devine article I became increasingly curious with the idea of how inevitable prejudice and racial stereotyping really is in today’s society. In Devine’s article she states “Inhibiting stereotype-congruent or prejudice-like responses and intentionally replacing them with nonprejudiced responses can be likened to be the breaking of a bad habit” (Devine, P.G. 1989). There are many people who are under the notion that we live in post racial society; but as we have ...

Miley Cyrus and the West African Origins of Twerking

Connie — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 14:16:27 +0000

Sadly, yes. I did feel that including Miley Cyrus in the title and tag of this post would garner more attention. Here is one of several thoughtful pieces I’ve seen – not about misguided Miley’s image – but about how the dancers that surrounded her were used “as props.” It also provides a brief history of twerking – a dance I found awkward and mystifying in Miley’s performance. We owe it to twerking to read ...

Microaggressions and Being Assertive

kw237335 — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:52:39 +0000

As I was reading the blog posts regarding microaggressions, my mind quickly jumped to my Interpersonal Communications class and the book that we just read on being assertive. When learning about assertiveness, we learned that it is important in being assertive to stand up for yourself and say something to someone when they give you a certain look, or a microaggression. The book on assertiveness says that if someone gives you a look that you ...