Awareness of Microaggressions

      I have always had experiences with microaggressions throughout my lifetime, but never knew what that it had a title.  I just always felt that I was being made fun of or discriminated against.  I had not ever heard of the word microaggression until taking this course.  An example of microaggression that I remember vividly was a comment that was made by a co-worker of mine.  I recall a co-worker that was a Caucasian woman saying to me, “I hate my big ole’ butt. I have a butt like a black girl, like yours!”  I’m thinking to myself…”Ummm, I’m black.”  I do not feel she meant the statement in an offensive way, but it was offensive.  I said to her, “All races are blessed to have nice backsides, depending on the individual, not the color of their skin.”  I have always been very confident in myself and with my physical appearance.  I was indeed very shocked for my co-worker to make the comment that she made.  Once she read my facial expression, she said that she was not trying to be disrespectful.  I just continued to look at her and shake my head.  I have heard other individuals speak on women having "butts like black women".  I am still trying to understand the logic behind it all.  It is so unfair to be so stereotypical.  The crazy part is....  I have also heard black women say it about women of other races.  I have seen women of all races that have very nice physical physiques.  

            I do feel as if you do not have to be a minority to experience racial microaggression.  There are some racist minorities also that are prejudice against Caucasians.  Honestly, I feel sometimes that my own race is worst critic.  As sad as it sounds, it’s true from my own personal experiences.  Even today, there are parents that come to tour my school, both African American and Caucasian families, that will walk past me and go straight to my office manager.  We have a door bell and I usually answer the door.  Before I can even say, “How can I help you, they walk past me to ask my Caucasian office manager if she is the director or is her director here?  She will then point them back to my direction where I am still standing in the foyer with a smile on my face.  The comment is always that I look so young, but I know that is not the case.  I am about to be thirty nine years old next month and no one looks “that young!”