Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Microaggressions Project
Tackling subtle racism in schools and colleges
Aims
Microaggressions are verbal and non-verbal comments, insults or actions that target minority groups and/or groups who are perceived to have less power. The Microaggressions Project was set up to educate, inform and start conversations about microaggressions, including how they manifest in the school environment and practical ways of challenging them. It aimed to explore how microaggressions are experienced by young people and give students the confidence to be allies and advocates for each other. It also looked at how to challenge the negative role of the passive bystander and encourage pupils to take the actions they are most comfortable with. The project’s focus is to create classroom-based lessons for learners and staff that can be used to start discussions and foster the confidence of individuals to challenge microaggressions when they occur.
METHODOLOGY
University of Brighton students created resources to explain what racial microaggressions are and how they can be responded to. Seaford Head School students attended a focus group where they provided feedback and suggestions on how the subject of microaggressions could most usefully be presented in a lesson. A teachers’ lesson plan was then created and the racial microaggressions project became the microaggressions project.
The lesson plan covers what microaggressions are, the impact they can have and how to respond when you see or hear them taking place. The session incorporates a range of microaggressions that can be experienced by any minority group or group perceived as having less power. The session plan incorporates a short YouTube clip, a Kahoot quiz and group worksheets.
IMPACT
The lesson plan will be shared with Seaford Head School and other secondary schools in Sussex. The anticipated impacts are that:
- staff will feel confident delivering a session on microaggressions
- students will understand what microaggressions are and their potential impact
- students will know how to be an active bystander and respond to microaggressions
- there will be fewer microaggressions taking place
- there will be a consistent and regular response to microaggressions.
TALKING POINTS
What is the impact of microaggressions?
Other than having a consistent policy on sanctions for this behaviour, what other things can schools and colleges do to challenge microaggressions?
Who has responsibility for challenging microaggressions? And how can microaggressions be challenged?
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Context
When discussing racism and discrimination, racist banter and microaggressions are the most common issues reported by young people of colour in school and university. Teachers and staff also want to know how they can deal with these negative behaviours. Research by the YMCA found that 95% of the young BAME people who took part in its survey had witnessed racist language at school and that more than half think racism is the biggest barrier to success.
With low numbers of BAME students in Sussex schools, these students are often the target of microaggressions from friends and peers. As solely discussing racial microaggressions can make students feel ‘other’, uncomfortable or embarrassed, the project was opened up to all minority groups to create a safer place to discuss the range of microaggressions experienced by different people and crucially how everyone can be an active bystander.
Partners: University of Brighton and Seaford Head School
Funding source: Uni Connect
SLN contact: Debra Vice-Holt
Duration: May to July 2021