“All focus group participants discussed experiencing various forms of racial microaggressions. Some of the injuries were related to a sense that many White people in the community pretend not to notice race or color and will do or say hurtful things without realizing that they are causing injury.”
(Yull et al. 2014)

I found this particularly interesting, as there does seem to be a sort of myth floating around that pretending to ignore race altogether means one cannot be racist (or say or do anything that could be considered racist.) As the article mentions, the intentions are usually good, but the outcomes are not. Recognizing that a person is Black, for example, is not actually racist, but some people seem to be uncomfortable or even afraid to acknowledge such a thing, so they prefer to pretend that they are “colorblind,” which doesn’t actually seem to help anybody.

I am curious as to what some of the microagressions the participants in this study have experienced. Because of the nature of microagressions, it is not always easy to realize how or why they are offensive, so I find specific examples helpful. When I read specific examples and then contemplate why they are offensive or reflect a deeper stereotype, it makes me more aware of microagressions I might witness or that my students might encounter. It also helps me to understand what sort of behavior and language I should avoid and why.