ABSTRACT

Racial microaggressions are subtle, seemingly innocuous acts that target people of color. They have been found to have negative social, emotional, and psychological consequences, including increased anxiety, depression, and suicide ideation. This study examined how Black women respond to racial microaggressions at a historically White institution. Findings showed that participants’ decisions to respond were preceded by an internal conflict that caused them to question the racial implications of the experience as well as assess the potential consequences of responding. It was found that participants often did this as a way to minimize the negative emotional and psychological effects of the experience. Counterstorytelling was used to provide some insight into the internal conversations the participants had with themselves. Implications and recommendations are provided.

摘要

种族微攻击是针对有色人种的微妙、看似无害的行为。他们被发现会产生负面的社会、情感和心理后果，包括增加焦虑、抑郁和自杀意念。这项研究调查了黑人女性在历史上的白人机构中如何应对种族微攻击。调查结果表明，参与者做出回应的决定之前存在内部冲突，这导致他们质疑这种经历的种族影响，并评估回应的潜在后果。结果发现，参与者经常这样做是为了尽量减少体验的负面情绪和心理影响。Counterstorytelling 被用来提供一些关于参与者与自己的内部对话的洞察力。