Racial Microaggressions
An African American woman holds a sign reading "you're really pretty...for a dark skin girl."

“As defined by psychologist D.W. Sue, who has studied the topic extensively, a microaggression is a “brief and commonplace slight/insult that communicates hostility or prejudice towards particular groups of people”. The term was coined by Harvard professor Chester M. Pierce in 1970 in response to insults and dismissals he witnessed inflected on black Americans. While many argue against the validity of microaggressions based on the fact that it’s an entirely subjective claim, when presented with examples, an overwhelming majority of us recognize these phrases.”

“You’re very pretty for a dark skinned woman”

Learn more at focusforhealth.org

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