Racism and Microaggressions
Watch the video on microaggressions (2:38) by Dr. Derald Wing Sue of Columbia University. In the presentation, Dr. Sue shares examples of microaggressions, which he defines as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights, invalidations, and insults to an individual or group because of their marginalized status in society.” https://www.tc.columbia.edu/bigthinkers/segments/derald-wing-sue/
Small group discussion (20 min) – groups of 6
- Have you ever witnessed or experienced an incident like the ones described in the video?
- How can you respond to overt racism or macroaggressions in the classroom?
- What are the cumulative impacts of these types of incidents on indigenous students?
- How would you set up your course in a way that creates cultural safety for Indigenous students?
For specific examples of microaggressions against Indigenous students, watch some of the video What I Learned in Class today: Aboriginal Issues in the Classroom in which Indigenous students at the University of British Columbia share ways that they have been made to feel uncomfortable in their classes because of their Indigenous identity. http://intheclass.arts.ubc.ca/video/
