EDUC - 6164: Microaggression Awareness

A microaggression that I detected this week occurred between my roommate and me. My roommate is a dance instructor at a local studio, and for publicity they are planning a flash mob. Since the studio is trying to get over 100 individuals to participate, the instructors have been recruiting anyone who is available the day of the mob. Recently, my coworker and I stopped at my apartment quickly to grab something before we left for a school event, and my roommate was home. My coworker and roommate got to talking, and eventually my roommate stumbled upon subject of the flashmob. She said, "Actually, I bet you're a great dancer - you should come!" My coworker, although seemingly joking said, "Why, because I'm black!?" Even though my roommate truly meant nothing by it, she assumed that since he was black, he was a good dancer. To me, this was an example of a microinvalidation.

When this occurred, I immediately thought of the microaggressions we were learning in class. It didn't appear as though my coworker was hurt by the comment, but it was obvious that this type of situation had previously occurred. Now that I have studied this phenomena, I know that it is more harmful than I realize.

This observation showed me how quickly a microaggression can occur. My roommate surely did not mean anything by this statement, but before she even realized it, she said it, and my coworker noted it immediately. Because microaggressions happen so quickly, they undoubtedly happen frequently, and most of the time without realization by the individual who said it. It is truly important that we examine our biases; if we don't, we may not realize that we carry them, and we may say harmful statements to others without even knowing it.