Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggressions exists throughout our society. We can see and hear microagressions in everyday living, such as, at work, movies, and television. One particular movie which I can remember micro aggression is the movie Pretty Woman. In this movie Julia Roberts who was dressed like a prostitute went shopping alone in a very expense clothing store which serve rich clients only. The white store clerk looked at assumed she was in the wrong store and could not afford to buy clothes from this particular store. The white store clerk made a smart remark, and escorted her out the store. This is an example of racial, verbal and environmental microagression within the same race. Watching this movie made me upset with the store clerk because she judged and condemned Julia Roberts by the her appearance and her behavior.

I am an African American female that receives awkward looks of mistrust and fear when I shop at jewelry stores. Soon, as I enter the store the white sale clerk ask me"can I help you?" I said, "No I am just looking, but I can tell the white sale clerk is watching me and following me throughout the jewelry aisles. This is an example of racial micro aggression. The white sales clerk assumed because I was an African American that I wanted to steal from the jewelry store. This made me upset and I left the jewelry store to find a jewelry store that would give me respect and time to shop.

This week I noticed that micro aggressions are still much alive in today's society. While shopping in stores, I receive awkward looks and a white store clerk following me around the store like I was a criminal. Racial microagression was the most popular type I experienced. This made me feel sad that discrimination is still alive, but in different forms. I have a lot to think about.