“The police killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed have the nation discussing big issues of structural racism, policing and power. And maybe you’re thinking about your part in all of this, too. Maybe at your workplace or in your friend group or among family, you’re having difficult discussions about the instances of racism that you’ve seen or felt or even may have even been complicit in.
These conversations are essential to affect change, but they’re hard and uncomfortable, and you’re bound to run into what’s known as “microaggressions.” These are the thinly veiled, everyday instances of racism, homophobia, sexism (and more) that you see in the world. Sometimes it’s an insult, other times it’s an errant comment or gesture.
Kevin Nadal, a professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, has spent years researching and writing books on the effects of microaggressions. As these big structural issues play out, he says it’s important to confront the small stuff.”
