Unintentional racial microaggressions flow from well-meaning whites who deny their own bias.

Evidence

Most prominently examined by Dr. Derrald Wing Sue, microaggressions, are “everyday insults, indignities, and demeaning messages sent to people of color by well intentioned white people who are unaware of the hidden messages sent to them” (Sue et al., 2007). … It is their very invisibility to white people that makes microaggressions a companion to white privilege. As Sue points out “most White Americans experience themselves as good, moral and decent human beings who believe in equality and democracy. Thus they find it difficult to believe that they possess biased racial attitudes and may engage in behaviors that are discriminatory” (Sue et al., 2007, p. 275). — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education, 1254

Categorization

• DEFINE: Operationalizes Core microaggression concept with Sue’s canonical definition — exactly what the reader needs to teach it.
• XREF: connects to: White privilege consists of unearned daily assets invisible to those who hold them. — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse,…, 1249; White listeners detect bias concealed in egalitarian self-claims. — Drew S. Jacoby-Senghor and Michael Rosenblum and N. Derek Brown, Not all egalitarianism is created…, 33; Most racial disparity stems from well-meaning people’s unconscious bias, not explicit hatred — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law: A Definitive Look at…, 1353 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Racial inequality persists chiefly through unconscious bias in people who believe themselves fair #corroborates (0.90) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 1353
• Most racial disparity stems from well-meaning people’s unconscious bias, not explicit hatred #corroborates (0.88) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 1353
• White listeners detect bias concealed in egalitarian self-claims. #corroborates (0.82) — Drew S. Jacoby-Senghor and Michael Rosenblum and N. Derek Brown, Not all egalitarianism is created equal, 33
• Falsely tolerant attitudes mask enduring racial prejudice. #corroborates (0.78) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2171
• Whites discriminate most when bias can be excused by nonracial factors like bystander presence #expands (0.75) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2169
• Whites dismiss individual microaggressions because they cannot see the accumulated pattern. #complicates (0.75) — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education, 1262
• Whites attribute racial inequality to behavior while benefiting from networks they deny #expands (0.73) — Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Democracy in Black, 159
• Individual racial bias scales into systemic bias through high-stakes interactions #expands (0.72) — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 264
• Failure to seek disconfirmation sustains racial prejudice. #expands (0.70) — Diego Gambetta, Trust - Making and Breaking Cooperative…, 634