1. Talking About Race: Addressing Microaggression
Sue Bryant and Jean Koh Peters
AALS Clinical Conference
Baltimore, MD
May 2, 2016

2. Opening Exercise
Please recall a constructive conversation about race from your past.
Write down one word to describe that conversation.

3. Seeding the Garden* Microagression, Privilege & Power
Implicit Bias, Ethnocentrism & Confirmation Bias
Using & Breaking Categories - Intersectionality & Anti-Essentialism
Equality & Material Inequality
*Peters and Bryant, Chapter 16, Talking About Race, in Transforming Legal Education, The Theory and Practice of Clinical Pedagogy.

4. GOALS Increase Understanding of Microaggression
Identify Ways to Teach About It
Develop Useful Responses in Practice
Identify Ways to Respond in Class
Identify Ways to Identify & Avoid Our Own
what it is and the harm it causes
Start class here

5. Include the Whole Class as Learners & Teachers
Receivers of MicroAgression
Senders of Microagressions
Name Life Experiences
Prepare Responses
Negate Effects
ID Microagressions
Recognize Harm
Receive Feedback
Negate Effects
Should this be here? or at beginning depends on when we start the class
Different – we are going to do this very quickly might slow it down.

6. Four Key Concepts
Nonjudgment: of self & other with a focus on seeking facts and delaying conclusion
Isomorphic Attribution: The Speaker or Actor’s own meaning
Racial Anxiety: heightened levels of stress/ emotion experienced when interacting with people of other races.
Switchtracking: someone gives you feedback, and your reaction to that feedback changes the subject
Often occurs by people trying to show understanding – it is like gender islamophobia, heterosexism, etc. – all of a sudden we are talking about a different kind of discrimination.
Sometimes that brings helpful insights but often it moves the conversation in a different direction and fails to develop an understanding of the particular issue of race. We move to an easier topic. Might also be switch tracked by denying race – its all about poverty or blaming – poor work ethic, Sometimes it is not actually switch tacking but a recognition of intersectional problems – poverty and race, gender and race, etc. Inter-sectionality --- seeing someone as having many different identities and understanding that bias and privilege may operate differently depending on context and combinations of – introduced by kim krenshaw. while it is important to pay attention to categorical sites of bias – also important to understand how identities work together and to see persons as individuals
This response is problematic because such attempts by the therapist to explain how he or she can understand a person of color’s experience with racism may be perceived by the client as an attempt to minimize
the importance of his or her racial identity, to avoid acknowledging the therapist’s racial biases, or to communicate a discomfort with discussing racial issues.”

7. MICROAGGRESSION
“Racial microaggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color.”
–Derald Wing Sue
Microaggressions are subtle and often automatic “put downs” that may communicate a pattern of being overlooked, under-respected, and devalued because of one’s race or gender.
Attributional ambiguity – how do we interpret this statement or behavior?
shift to classroom mode?

8. TYPES OF MICROAGGRESSIONS
Racial Microassault
Microassaults are explicit racial derogations and purposeful discriminatory actions, similar to “old fashioned” racism.
Racial Microinsult
Microinsults are behavioral or verbal remarks that convey rudeness, insensitivity, and demean a person’s racial heritage or identity. Often subtle snubs outside the level of awareness of the perpetrator, microinsults clearly convey a hidden insulting message to the recipient of color.
Racial Microinvalidation
Microinvalidations are verbal comments or behaviors that exclude, negate, or nullify the psychological thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of a person of color; they are likely unintentional.

9. Derald Wing Sue et. al., Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Implications for Clinical Practice, 62 Am. Psychologist 271, 278 (2007).

11. Jody Gray, Diversity Outreach Librarian University Minnesota

12. Images come from the

13. Why Do We Send Microagressions?
Implicit bias
Stereotyping
Failure to recognize another person’s experience.
Clash of Racial Realities
Belief microaggressions are minor and not harmful
Belief in post-racial world and denial of discrimination

14. HARMFUL IMPACT
Far from being benign slights, racial microaggressions have major detrimental consequences for people of color because they:
Assail the mental health of recipients (Sue, Capodilupo, & Holder, 2008)
“Sap[s] the psychic and spiritual energy of recipients and [creates] inequities.” (Franklin, 2004; D. W. Sue, 2004)
Lower work productivity and problem solving abilities (Dovidio, 2001; Salvatore & Shelton, 2007)
Create physical health problems (Clark, Anderson, Clark, & Williams, 1999)
Perpetuate stereotype threat (Steele, Spencer, & Aronson, 2002)
Create a hostile and invalidating campus climate (Solórzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000)
Saturate the broader society with cues that signal devaluation of social group identities (Purdie-Vaughns, Steele, Davies, & Ditlmann, 2008)
Slide Adapted from:
Derald Wing Sue, Overcoming Microaggressions in Educational Institutions, Colum. U. (November 10, 2010),

15. “Race matters,” to the minority teenager who sees “others tense up as he passes;” to the young person addressed in a foreign language although she grew up in this country; to the young woman who is asked “No, where are you really from?”
“Race matters because of the slights, the snickers, the silent judgments that reinforce that most crippling of thoughts: ‘I do not belong here,’ ”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, dissenting opinion
Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action

16. Exploring: How Do We Respond?

17. Quickwrite
Recall a microaggression in your law practice for which you (or a student or a client), in retrospect, gave a highly unsatisfactory response (including no response).
Recall a microaggression in your law practice aimed at you or a student or client for which you(or a student or a client) had a satisfactory response (including no response).
We will ask for volunteers to share some of these moments with the group
I think we want to think where this goes? & How we use this?

18. 3 Inquiries What Happened? - Attributional Ambiguity Should I Respond?
Did something just happen?
Am I imagining it?
Is it an intentional slight?
Should I Respond?
Ignore it and potentially stew on it, or confront the person?
Will the other person see it as a race-based slight or think I am hypersensitive? If I am unlikely to persuade, is it worth the effort?
Look how much time and energy I’ve just spent on this random comment that the other person barely remembers making
If I Respond, How Should I Respond?
How does racial anxiety apply to microagression - see it here in difficulty of raising (I am racist) or won’t go anyplace

19. Share with your Neighbor
The microaggression for which you, in retrospect, gave a highly unsatisfactory response (including no response). Why was it unsatisfactory?
The microaggression for which you had a satisfactory response (including no response). Why was it satisfactory?
We will ask for volunteers to share one of these moments with the group.

20. Four Levels of Competency
Unconscious Competence
Conscious Competence
Conscious Incompetence
Unconscious Incompetence
From The Empathic Communicator, William S. Howell, 1982, pp
do we want this? – I would eliminate

21. From Unconscious Incompetence to Conscious Incompetence about Microaggression
Jean’s evolution—Lt. Colombo
Stereotype Tax– when a negative stereotype that others have about you works to your advantage.
stereotypes-to-win-matches
– the price the person doing the stereotyping pays for his preconceived notions.
Jean, I would like to change title to reinforce spectrum idea - where are you on the spectrum - what is your default?

22. From Conscious Incompetence Towards Conscious Competence: the Potential
Jean’s further evolution: a student demands allegiance
“Alice”: Ladies➔“Law Student Interns”
Bianca: “Keep it light, keep it moving”: <under her breath and to no one in particular> “Sounds like a woman to me”

23. A Spectrum of Responses
No response
(Including Stereotype tax)
“Keep it Light, keep it moving”
Confront it Directly
do we want to stage this slide or just pop it?

24. A Spectrum of These Responses
0 ___________________________________100
No response
(Stereotype tax)
“Keep it Light, keep it moving”
Confront it Directly
Possible Benefits:
Keep on track
Save time and energy
Protect self: show no vulnerability
Lay down a marker
Fire a warning shot
Help other side save face
Act with self-esteem
Deter future misbehavior
Inspire change
Educate
Would it make sense to do 3 or 4 slides so that audience can read them or just do the single slide?

25. A Spectrum of These Responses
0 ___________________________________100
No response
In your own head
Stereotype tax
“Keep it Light, keep it moving”
Confront it Directly
Possible Benefits:
Keep on track
Save time and energy
Protect self: show no vulnerability
Lay down a marker
Fire a warning shot
Help other side save face
Act with self-esteem
Deter future misbehavior
Inspire change
Educate
Possible Risks:
Allow yourself/client to be harmed (esp. longterm)
Doesn’t change environment
Makes no impact – too subtle
Stops favorable activity – too strong
Stops activity
Disrupts without value
Expose/create vulnerability
Burns you out
& benefits?

26. How Do We Choose? Develop a Personal Calculus
Develop a Repertoire of Responses
No response
“Keep it Light, keep it moving”
Confront it Directly
Jean or Sue

27. Potential Responses 100 “Keep it Light, keep it moving”
No Response “Keep it light, keep it moving” Confront It Directly
100
“Keep it Light, keep it moving”
Confront it Directly
Possible Benefits:
Keep on track
Save time and energy
Protect self: show no vulnerability
Lay down a marker
Fire a warning shot
Help other side save face
Act with self-esteem
Deter future misbehavior
Inspire change
Educate
Possible Risks:
Allow yourself/client to be harmed (esp. longterm)
Doesn’t change environment
Makes no impact – too subtle
Stops favorable activity – too strong
Stops activity
Disrupts without value
Expose/create vulnerability
Burns you out
Potential Responses:
Look Quizical
Stay calm, take a deep breath.
Tax Stereotypes
“Ouch”
“Could you repeat that?”
“I disagree.”
Actively postpone to different setting/time.
Inquire (“What do you mean?” “Don’t you mean?”)
Disagree: “That’s not my experience/the experience of many people”
Focus on what they did, not what they are.
SOPHIA AND DAHLIA’S WORKING DRAFT
I think I would leave off potential responses -- get these from the group.
Also this slide has an impossible amount of information on it.

28. Microaggressions In Class
Student #1 African American Woman:
“These are not ‘racially insensitive comments’
They are racist. And Alicia should have
said something.”
Student #2 White Woman Student: “I don’t know
we all have CRAZY relatives who say CRAZY
things. And we don’t necessarily say anything.”
Student #3 “That’s a very ableist statement.”

29. 3 Inquiries
What happened?
Should We Respond? Concerns/Problems You See. Teaching Opportunities?
How to Respond? Strategies?
No Response
“Keep it Light, keep it moving”
Confront it Directly
What are the teaching opportunities? For each student? All the students?
What concerns to you have? Problems Do You See?
How do you handle this to maximize the education?
What are typical inquiries that we use?
Explain, others
Can you see how student #1 could say its racist –

30. The Logical End to Jean’s Story
As we advance in our careers, don’t we become more and more likely to be the microaggressors
(rather than the microaggressed) in these stories?

31. Microaggression As Teachers/Lawyers—Quick write
Recall a microaggression that you committed.
We may ask for volunteers to share some of these moments with the group

32. Microaggressions As Teachers (students report)
Confusing the names of two students of the same ethnicity, even when they didn’t particularly resemble each other
Disproportionately looking to women to be filekeepers or notetakers
Complimenting students of color on their English
Consistently mispronouncing our students names or stopping trying to pronounce certain names
Asking students of color explicitly for “different perspectives”?
Assuming certain facts, characteristics, or background of a student.
Repeatedly calling on white male students before calling on women or minority students.

33. Following Up on Our Microaggressions
Apologize & name the microaggression
Other ideas?

34. When Confronted, Even (especially!) If Inartfully
Remember how hard we have just worked to figure out a proper, proportional reaction
Be forgiving
Can we receive this as a gift?
Can we remember how brave the student was to try to confront us?
Avoid defensiveness
Remember that you were resilient and our students are too
Respond as you wish others would have responded to you
Other Ideas?

35. Avoiding Microaggressions
Habit Five/recursive reflection
evaluate, reflect and problem-solve outside of the moment
improve over time
REMEMBER: nonjudgment towards self
Slow down/change the pace
Watch quick humorous responses
Other ideas?

36. Compose a Takeaway
Write five words to help you crystallize your insights from this session. Write them in your notes, and also write them on a post-it to stick on the reflection section of the wall near the exit to this room.

37. Slide background adapted from Jacob Lawrence Migration series #4747