Common Micro aggressions: African Americans and/or Black People
Anonymous asked: What are some common micro-aggressions that a black american will regularly have to deal with?
Behold! This masterpost of common micro-aggressions towards African Americans and/or people in the African Diaspora.
Micro-aggressions are the ālittleā incidents of racism that may not be so obviously racist, but come from a place of ignorance or stereotyped views
Micro-aggressions can be perpetuated by White people as well as fellow Black people and People of Color.
Several of these may be applicable to other People of Color.
We (Black mods writing this) live in different Westernized countries & have personally experienced every one of these or know someone who has.
For a fuller understanding of micro aggressions and the affects it has on individuals overtime, please see this: āThese incidents may appear smallā¦ā
Use of microaggressions in writing
This is just to give a thorough understanding of some of the things a Black person (often in America or other western countries) deals with.
Unless writing about racism, we would not recommend overpacking your Black character with every one of these experiences, or at least not within the narrative. Ā
Sprinkling in a few here and there is acceptable and adds realism.
Do not forget to include reactions to these micro-aggressions and when they occur, show theyāre not okay somehow in the text.
The micro aggressions tag has plenty of applicable advice.
General Micro-aggressions
People excusing blackface.
Having our grammar and annunciation corrected.
āI donāt see you as a Black person/ I donāt see colour.ā
Calling Black people ghetto, thugs, rachet, sassy, urbanā¦
People debating why they should be allowed to say the n-word.
Then saying the n-word anyway.
Whispering, spitting, or stumbling over the word āBlackā as if itās a curse.
Refusing to pronounce your name right, or just calling you by a different name thatās easier.
Alternatively, ājokinglyā calling you a āghettoā name.
Constantly mixing up unrelated and not even resembling Black people, because you know.. āBlack people all look the same.ā
Dismissing our experiences as ājust overreacting,ā defending the wronging party, or using our plight to talk about oneās own experience (e.g. āwell as a gay man iāve got it roughā¦ā).
Telling racist jokes and calling you sensitive when you donāt find it funny.
ā______ Ā is the new civil rights movement!ā Black folks are still fighting for their rights, soā¦
Caricatured depictions of Black people on TV.
Casting calls for Black people only tailored for ārace roles.ā
Media treating white criminals and killers better than Black victims (see these headlines).
Assuming you only listen to rap/hip-hop/r&b.
Assuming you love chicken, Kool-aid, and/or smoke weed.
Assuming youāre good at sports.
Assuming thereās no father in the picture in Black families.
Assuming all Black people (see: young girls) have children.
Calling Black people who donāt conform to preconceived images of Blackness āless black,ā acting white or an āoreo.ā
Non-Black People mimicking/imitating AAVE.
People falling into AAVE when talking to Black People.
āWhy donāt Black people speak real English instead of āebonicsā?ā
Insults/doubting intelligence:
Youāre so articulate!ā
āYou take advanced classes?!ā
āHow did she get into that [prestigious school and/or program]?ā
āThey only got x because theyāre Black/Affirmative action.ā
Assuming a Black person (usually male) attends college because of a sports scholarship.
Counselors discouraging Black students to take prestigious coursework, assuming itās too difficult for them.
āYouāre a credit to your race.ā
āIām glad youāre not like those other Black people. Youāre not ghetto or listen to that rap stuff..ā
Tone policing: dismissing someoneās reaction/argument/etc. because they are too āemotional.ā Thinking that we need to be calm in order to be taken seriously.
Pitting African immigrants against African Americans, especially those coming to America for education, aka āGood Blacks.ā
Beauty Standards and Dating
āYouāre pretty for a Black girl.ā
āYouāre pretty! Are you mixed?ā
āI donāt usually date/arenāt attracted to Black people.ā
Calling attraction to Black people ājungle fever.ā
People asking you what you are or where youāre really from.
Referring to Black people or our features as āexotic.ā
Referring to Black peopleās skin as chocolate or other foods.
Assuming dark skin doesnāt need sunscreen. Like other humans, we do!
Saying Black women are āstrong, independent and donāt need no man.ā
Calling Black women āsassyā or angry if she shows passion/emotion.
Overreactions/exaggerating our actions. This often involves assigning aggression where there is none. (Black person speaking firmly is yelling. A Black woman disagrees with someone: āwhy are you attacking me?ā) Ā
Referring to white and non-black women as āgirlsā and āwomenā while calling Black women āFemales.ā
Men who apply courtesy to white women (holding doors, giving up seat) but donāt apply the same to Black women.
Referring to Black women on government assistance as āwelfare queensā (While ignoring that white people, white women especially, get more government assistance than Black people in the USA).
āBlack women All woman are beautiful.ā (Stop. That. Please.)
People touching/petting your hair without consent.
āSo is that your real hair? Are those extensions?ā
Calling natural black hair unprofessional.
White people appropriating Black hair styles (dreads, twists, etc) and being praised as edgy, while itās āghetto, unprofessional, and uncleanā on our own heads.
āDo you live in the ghetto?ā
āCan you afford that?ā
āHere are the value prices of this productā¦ā
Racial Profiling + Criminalization:
Crossing the street to avoid passing Black men/people.
Following in stores, assuming Black people are stealing.
Moving aside when we pass, clutching purse, locking doors.
Asking Black people for I.D. when paying with card (while white people are not asked).
Being pulled over + arrested at astonishingly higher rates than white people.
