Usually committed by a well-meaning person — unaware that what they’re saying is inappropriate, gauche, or hurtful — the term microaggression captures the spirit of these slights. But make no mistake: microaggressions can cause mountains of harm.

Welcome to the world of microaggressions. It’s more macro than you think.

Microaggressions are remarks or actions that do not necessarily signal malicious intent but can inflict insult or injury just the same. These commonplace (and often unconscious) instances of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, sexism, and more are insidious because they tend to happen casually and frequently — with no explicit harm intended. And if you are from a marginalized group, they may be a constant in your world.

While it might sound trivial, the cumulative effects of these countless micro messages invariably signal that you do not belong, leading to low self-esteem and feelings of alienation. And can trigger imposter syndrome (when people doubt their achievements). Research from Dr. Derald Wing Sue, Professor of Counseling Psychology at Columbia University, and others shows that microaggressions may be more harmful than overt racism or prejudice. Dr. Sue, who has written two books on microaggressions, defines the term this way: “The everyday slights, indignities, put-downs and insults that people of color, women, LGBTQ populations or those who are marginalized experiences in their day-to-day interactions with people.”

Microaggressions matter because they seem to be both symptoms and causes of larger structural problems. It can be all too easy to slight others without exerting vigilance when interacting with people whose lived experiences are “other” than our own. Lack of intention does not mean that the impact of these remarks and actions doesn’t hit hard. Microaggressions spotlight cultural differences in ways that put the receiver’s “non-conformity” on vivid display, inspiring shame while causing anxiety and crises of belonging for minorities. While they may not always be ill-intentioned, microaggressions add up, creating a hostile environment and illuminating deeper problems in our country. It’s death by a thousand and one paper cuts and counting.

What do microaggressions look like?

Any minority group in society can become a bullseye for microaggressions — women, religious minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ+ folks, and more. Here are some examples of microaggressions and the subtext behind them.

EXAMPLES:

• “Where are you from” or “where were you born?”
• “You speak English so well!”
• “What are you? You’re so unique looking!”
• A teacher or boss fails to learn or continues to mispronounce a student’s or coworker’s name after they have been corrected multiple times.

Subtext: You are not a real American. You are forever a foreigner in your own country. Your ethnicity or racial identity makes you exotic.

EXAMPLES:

• A doctor of color is mistaken for housekeeping or service worker, or female doctor mistaken for a nurse.
• A person of color is ignored at a store counter as attention is given to the white customer.
• Saying “you people…”
• In a meeting, the boss tends to call more often on male colleagues than female ones.

Subtext: People of color could not possibly hold high-status positions. Women occupy nurturing positions. People of color are less valued customers. You do not belong. You are a lesser being.

EXAMPLES:

• A person crosses to the other side of the street to avoid a person of color.
• A white person clutches their purse or feels for their wallet when a Black or Latino person comes towards them.
• A store owner follows a customer of color around the store.

Subtext: You are dangerous. You are poor. You are a criminal and are going to steal. You do not belong.

EXAMPLES:

• “You’re a credit to your race!”
• “Wow! Impressive, how did you become so good at math?”
• To an Asian person: “You must be great at math, can you please help me with this problem?”
• To a woman: “I would never have guessed that you were a computer programmer!”
• “You need to get yourself a Jewish lawyer.”

Subtext: People of color are usually not as smart. All Asians are intelligent and great at math and science. It’s unusual for a woman to have strong mathematical abilities. Jews are pushy and shrewd.

And sometimes microaggressions scream more silently, like when completing basic forms and being forced to pick Male or Female, or being presented with two options for relationship status: married or single. The implicit message? You don’t count the same way if you don’t fit these dualistic buckets.

Actionable steps to combat microaggressions?

Even those of us with the best of intentions can inadvertently commit a microaggression, and honestly — most of us have at one time or another. Committing a microaggression does not mean you are a bad person. Rather, it’s a symptom of living in a world where the dominant view tends to be Eurocentric, masculine, heterosexual, and Christian. There are steps we can take to help minimize the impact and harm of microaggressions. The first step to addressing a microaggression? Recognizing that one has occurred, then dissecting what message it might be sending.

When you are the bystander.

You witnessed what you feel is a microaggression, and you know that staying silent expresses tacit approval for what was said or done — so what should you do?

Be an ally. Your voice can be a potent force in combating microaggressions. When the target of a microaggression complains, they are often dismissed as being over-sensitive or biased.

Speak for yourself. Share why you found the comment, remark, or action upsetting. It’s vital to speak from your own experience. You don’t want to talk on behalf of the person who experienced the slight, because doing so can be a form of microaggression. From your perspective, share why you are offended, disturbed, or hurt.

One way to proactively and constructively respond to the microaggression is with a form of micro-resistance called Open The Front Door. It is an approach that can resolve conflicts quickly and efficiently while still paying respect to the listener. By using this communication technique, both parties can move on and maintain a positive relationship. Open The Front Door, or OFTD, is a mnemonic device for the four steps involved in this valuable tool.

1. Observe. Describe in clear, unambiguous language what you see happening.
2. Thoughts. Share what you think about what happened based on your observation. Try not to put the person on the defensive.
3. Feelings. Express your feelings about the situation.
4. Desire. State what you would like to have happen.

Developed to help both those on the receiving end of microaggressions and their allied colleagues address these issues in the workplace, OTFD is a potent tool because it encourages direct and transparent communication while offering clarity around goals for how to proceed after the problem has been identified. It is an incredibly malleable model that allows for a range of responses that can be modulated depending on the environment, power dynamic, and personal communication style of the individual.

When you are the microaggressor.

The proverb holds, especially here: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Even those who are members of a marginalized group can commit microaggressions against other minorities, and sometimes even against members of their own group. A Latina lesbian may succumb to a common microaggression against people with disabilities, raising her voice when speaking with a blind person as if they are also deaf — the underlying assumption being that those with disabilities are disabled in all aspects of their functioning.

So what to do if you are accused of a microaggression?

Try not to be defensive.
Before reacting, stop. Think. Consider that the person is taking a risk in sharing this information with you. Take stock of your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors — are you angry about being confronted? Do you hear yourself trying to minimize the situation? Work to listen actively, even if what you are hearing challenges you.

Acknowledge the other person’s pain. Apologize.
Take responsibility for your comment. Apologies go a long way. If you are unclear on how your comment may have offended, gently ask for clarification, sharing that you would like to avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

Then reflect.
Ask yourself where the microaggression came from and how you can sidestep making the same blunder in the future. Remember that these micro slights add up, and as they do, the harm they inflict grows proportionally. Endeavor to increase your understanding of how your privilege and prejudice may skew your thinking so that you can actively shift your perception and behavior going forward.

It may be tempting to gloss over microaggressions, given that blatant racism is still an endemic problem — but the accumulated build-up of these seemingly small lacerations has profound mental and physical health consequences that cannot be overlooked. We have to take a hard look at microaggressions and make moves to mitigate them if we want to do more than pay lip service to diversity and inclusivity.

About the author.
An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist — Karina writes, edits, and produces compelling content across multiple platforms — including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties.

As copywriters, editors, and creatives, we use language and ideas to persuade, inform, promote. We may communicate across vastly different communities and cultures, with different standards and norms. And our choices have influence. So how do we manage to talk about race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, economic status, and other identities in a fast paced, rapidly changing—and often politically volatile—environment?

I’ll start by sharing that I’m a writer with experience in activism and communications for social justice organizations. I’m not an expert and my lived experience has provided both some privilege and challenges around identity. I’ve made mistakes and I will make others. I’ve encouraged other writers to rethink some of their choices. And I have my own discomfort about writing this piece because it is a contentious topic and messing up can seem risky.

Language Evolves

Words come into our lexicon all the time through cultural exchanges, new technologies, or memes that stick. Perhaps you’re an etymology nerd who knows that words like “ketchup” come from the Chinese or that “thagomizer” (the spikes on the tail of a dinosaur), was used in the Far Side comic before becoming informally adopted by scientists. Maybe you look out for which words get added to the dictionary every year. Or perhaps you readily accepted the use of “they” pronouns or dropping the Oxford comma.

No matter what, you know that we don’t speak Dickensian English. We generally accept that language changes. So why are some people so resistant to change and to feedback about the language and choices that they make? In My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, Resmaa Menakem describes “white-body supremacy.” He writes that the trauma and history of racism is felt within and upon the body by white bodies, by Black or other dark bodies, and by the bodies of public safety professionals. That fear and pain in the body, he argues, is what needs to be settled and metabolized through somatic (body) practices. In other words, people get activated in their primal brains, and their reactions to this discomfort reflect this.

Just as some words enter into the language, other words or phrases get phased out because they have sticky historical connotations or are outright offensive. It might take some education and understanding of history to learn that the phrase “grandfathered in” or the word “boss,” for example, have their roots in our racial history. Many people refrain from using words with negative connotations around mental health or disability. Some women cringe at the idea of being called ma’am, while, regionally and generationally, others may find it polite. Know your audience and interrogate the language that is used.

Be Curious and Ask Questions

Some people bemoan that there isn’t a complete list that they can refer to of words or phrases that are problematic, or that historically have negative or harmful meanings. The path to justice isn’t linear and known. We must accept that there will never be a comprehensive list because language continues to change — and we continue to analyze and learn. Don’t let the fear of making a mistake deter you from engaging with challenging social and political issues. Or assume that because you’ve read a book on the subject, that you have completed the work or that things won’t continue to change.

Be Transparent

Think about the choices that you make and why. Acknowledge them. Ask people you are describing how they want to be identified. For example, some people in the disability community prefer the phrasing “person with a disability” because it is “person first” language; others favor identity first language, such as “disabled person.” Differences could be regional, like the use of “Anglo” in the southwest, or they could be generational, like the use of “queer” versus “gay,” or they could be highly personal. Language that centers violence, like “fight for x,” is also increasingly seen as problematic by some clients.

If You Do Make a Mistake, Apologize and Learn from It

When a listserv that’s geared to media professionals recently sent out an email with a subject line that completely missed the mark and insulted people with disabilities, they certainly heard from other writers. But they promptly understood and accepted that they made a mistake. They sent another email apologizing: no dancing around the issue, simply accepting that an error was made and making a commitment to do better.

That said, there are excellent resources for creatives who want to be aware of the language they employ:

• Sum of Us has a comprehensive resource, A Progressive’s Style Guide.
• Autistic Hoya wrote a thorough blog post about language and ableism. The Center for Disability Rights has its Disability Writing & Journalism Guidelines. Other considerations include How to Write Better Alt Text for Images.
• The Understanding Slavery Initiative explains word choices and language around transatlantic histories and legacies.

As writers, we can easily say something differently or by using different words. Don’t get stuck or attached to using a familiar phrase that is outdated. Shakespeare was so skilled at this, there’s even a Shakespearean insult generator. Find creative solutions to words and phrases that fall out of favor.

We’ve recently heard from many companies and brands that acknowledge the work they need to do around racial justice. These are good things and barometers of change. Perhaps your company is newly committed to racial justice or maybe it was at the forefront.

It’s critical to listen to feedback and to correct our mistakes. What might be acceptable today might not be acceptable tomorrow. When change is necessary, as writers, we can be stewards of it.

About the author.
Jess Powers writes about marketing, food, and wellness. She has experience in nonprofit communications and emergency management. Follow her @foodandfury.

As a twenty-don’t worry about it-year old, I was not above grumbling about Generation Z, with their TikTok videos, seemingly missing awkward phases, and “know it all” aggressive personalities. Having spent the last two years working with college students, I admit it. I was wrong.

This generation is fiercely passionate, incredibly savvy, shockingly mature, and fired up to make a difference. I have worked with students who, at 21 years old, knew they wanted to create more equitable access to public parks or wanted to research the impact of trauma on incarcerated populations. They have written books, founded nonprofits, raised tens of thousands of dollars for causes they care about. Importantly, this is also the most diverse workforce we have ever seen in America.

In 2020, it’s estimated that up to 4.4 million Gen Zers will replace 3.6 million retiring baby boomers — the least diverse sector of the labor force. If you want to build a more diverse industry, the most effective way to do so is starting at the bottom of your organization.

Our traditional corporate mindset has been to use a “top down” approach to building these values into a company culture. We have seen a rise in hiring Chief Diversity Officers or bringing more women and BIPOC professionals to board meetings. These are highly visible roles, and certainly an important step in moving towards creating more diverse industries. But they can often just be a signalling tactic, rather than a step towards deeper change. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that CDOs in particular are not set up to succeed, because they are not provided the resources needed to take on what is usually an unreasonable set of expectations. Essentially, these leaders are tasked with the sole responsibility of dismantling what may be a decades-old company culture of racism, sexism, ableism, white supremacy, and more.

When it comes to efficiently and meaningfully bringing a change to ANY industry, the key is not just in hiring leaders from underrepresented communities or with ‘nontraditional’ backgrounds. Creating a long-lasting and sustained culture change within industries that have been historically homogeneous or have struggled to see true reform requires playing the long game. There is no overnight fix here, but there is a clear investment that few organizations are currently making: recruiting, training, and supporting young and diverse entry-level employees.

Let’s walk through the funnel of recruiting to retaining. There are several key considerations in creating a process that is effective and responsive to the values of this generation:

Recruitment

Start by taking a hard look at where you currently recruit and the kinds of applications you source. For example, in the last two years, we’ve learned that many students from underrepresented communities don’t feel comfortable going to typical recruiting events or using career centers. It’s important to dig deeper into why you may not be attracting a more diverse candidate pool, and be willing to invest in new and creative ways to connect. It may be easiest to just throw a job posting out to your existing network or channels, and wait for a few safe choices to come in. However, diversifying your talent pipeline requires significant effort to reach beyond your or your leadership team’s circles. We spend hours researching institutions, administrators, professors, and student leaders so we can reach out to beyond our immediate network. We also find that scheduling one-on-one (virtual) coffee chats with students, building rapport and trust even before an application is filled out, is an incredibly valuable time commitment.

Hiring

What do you consider a “promising” candidate? Is it the college they went to? Their GPA? If they have relevant work experience? The more applications we read and more students we work with, the more we have realized that these markers tell an incomplete story of what someone can bring to the table. For example, there is a lot of literature around the discomfort and insecurity first-generation college students experience on campuses, which may lead to lower GPAs or fewer industry-related internships. So what if we eliminated requiring GPAs as part of the hiring process? We need to toss out our old measuring sticks for success, and create a more holistic approach to evaluating potential hires. We already have seen a rise in soft skills proficiency in professional success; identifying candidates with the lived experience and the emotional intelligence to thrive at your organization is an important way to strengthen the team overall.

Onboarding

All I’ll say here is pay your employees more. Particularly if you are committed to diversity. There is a disconnect in the narrative between investing in DEI training, seminars, speakers and investing in your existing talent,making sure they are being paid a fair salary. Be cognizant of the types of financial hurdles a young person faces as they start their careers. They may need assistance with moving costs, transportation for interviews, or a bonus to cover the typical “first and last month rent” deposit required when you get an apartment for the first time.

Black men get paid $0.87 for every $1.00 that white men do. Black women get paid $0.63 for every $1.00 that white men do. It is one of the few problems that can actually be solved by throwing money at it!

Supporting

Two years ago, there was a lot of online water cooler chatter about Google being unable to retain Black and Latinx employees. We know that it’s not enough to just bring more diverse talent in, but to create internal systems to ensure that they are comfortable, respected, and thriving. By bringing in more young people who may be ‘fresh’ and require more training, you actually invest in creating an organic sub-culture of support and shared experience that, over time, will go mainstream as they rise up the ranks.

There is also a need to invest in training managers to be more conscientious mentors and colleagues to employees who may have backgrounds or lived experiences that are unfamiliar, so that they understand how to best listen and support accordingly. Bringing in outside coaches who specialize in these topics is a meaningful investment, and can help bring in a fresh approach that fills your potential blind spots.

There are also seemingly innocuous practices in how organizations and offices are run day-to-day that can leave BIPOC staff feeling particularly alienated or uncomfortable. We’ve created company cultures that are built on white culture; when someone’s working- or interpersonal-styles seemingly conflict with those (e.g. how they wear their hair, their collaboration strategy, their daily written communication style), we deem it “unprofessional.” However, it is often the case that as you introduce more diverse thought, practice, and ideas into your organization, you haven’t created the internal infrastructure to slow down and allow those to settle in and flourish. This piece highlights some ways that we perpetuate white supremacy in the workplace, and how to to actively dismantle those patterns.

Finally, provide your employees with much clearer and more robust tools to take on situations when they may experience microaggressions or overt racism. Remember, we are talking about people who are entering the workforce for the first time and may not have any external support system. They need to know exactly what steps to take to report toxic behavior, and trust that there are processes in place to protect them.

About the author.
Mariam Matin is one of the co-founders of Second Day, an organization dismantling inequitable talent pipelines into social impact through their Impact Fellowship program. She started her career in New York doing brand marketing at digital advertising agency Undertone and then transitioned to product marketing for the Digital Payments team at Chase. She also is a certified User Experience designer, and continues to take a data-driven, creative, and user-centric approach to the work she does at Second Day. She is also the host of the new podcast “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” which highlights moments in history that pop culture and politics collide. A native Texan with the heart of a New Yorker, she currently resides in Houston.

With the rush to rapidly push communications out during the COVID-19 pandemic, accessibility considerations can fall by the wayside. There are a few simple things that you can do now to make sure that your online content is more accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Use Checklists for Web Accessibility

The web accessibility initiative (WAI) sets guidelines for making online content accessible for people with disabilities. This generally includes people with visual or auditory disabilities as well as people with cognitive or intellectual disabilities. People with some physical disabilities may also have difficulty navigating certain websites. But everyone should be able to access information independently and equally.

WAI offers a host of information and tools to use to make sure that your website is accessible for people with disabilities. However, sometimes these automated tools are inaccurate. It is always helpful, if possible, to ask someone who uses a screen reader to check a web page or document for usability.

Headers are Your Friend

Formatting informs and assists how people read online. Most people scan a page of content. A screen reader like JAWS “reads” the content of anything online for people with visual disabilities. Users can tab through text and images much like a sighted reader scans a page.

It’s helpful to break up text on the page so readers can jump from one section to another to find what is relevant for them. Bullet points, headers, and formatting important words in bold or italics is helpful. Use formatted headers so the reader can skip ahead.

Accessibility requirements are also true for PDFs or complex documents with lots of design. Where possible, design documents with formatted text and headers so the user can tab through the pages. It is also important to describe images — including complex ones like charts and infographics — using alt text. At the very least, providing a text version of the document for download is an acceptable substitute.

Simplify Your Writing

Write content for the web in plain language. The recommended reading level for people with cognitive or intellectual disabilities is at the ninth grade or lower. Some sources suggest the sixth-grade level. Most complex sentences are at the 12th-grade level, yet the average reader reads at the eighth. People who are non-native English speakers also benefit from language that is easier to read.

Hemingway app is a great tool to check that what you write is simple and clear. You can cut and paste your text into the main page, and it evaluates your sentences and word choices. Sentences that are hard to read are highlighted in red or yellow. You can usually break them down further and make them even more concise. Words in the passive voice or that can be made more direct are also highlighted. Hemingway app also estimates the grade level for a particular body of text.

From a user experience (UX) perspective, someone with a cognitive or learning disability may benefit from having information represented visually (such as through icons) as well as through words. The repetition of concepts or ideas is helpful.

Use ASL or Captions on Videos or Zoom

With the prevailing trend of Zoom calls and video communication as we are all social distancing, many organizations forget to include captions or to use American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. Deaf or Hard of Hearing people may need these services. And people with cognitive or intellectual disabilities and English language learners may also find captions useful to follow along.

There are several free online tools available to create captions on a video. Presently, Zoom allows a host to assign an attendee to close caption a call manually or to enable a third party service. Like converting voice to text on your phone, the latter is not always accurate. It is generally necessary to recheck any captions generated by a service before sharing it online.

At the very least, it’s a good practice to ask people, when registering, if they need sign language interpretation or captions.

Be Inclusive

Just as you want to be mindful to include people of different backgrounds in images, it’s important to include people with visible disabilities in your content. Stock photos of people with disabilities are notorious for perpetuating stereotypes or for using nondisabled models.

Keep up to date with terminology that is acceptable and current for inclusivity. Back in mid-February, Mediabistro, a company that connects media professionals to jobs and training, sent out an e-newsletter with the subject line: “Are your stories lame?” Many people responded that this phrase is outdated and offensive to people with disabilities. They later apologized.

The Center for Disability Rights has a useful Disability Writing & Journalism Guidelines resource on their website. But if you do make a mistake, don’t be afraid to accept feedback, to apologize, and to learn from it.

Making content that is accessible for people with disabilities isn’t a perfect science. But showing effort towards reaching that goal is critical. And making information as available and accessible as possible is an essential skill in today’s marketplace.

About the author.
Jess Powers writes about marketing, food, and wellness. She has experience in nonprofit communications and emergency management. Follow her @foodandfury.