Spring signals the arrival of a fresh summer collection. On arrival, sales associates unpack every box in anticipation of their new club, date, or day-out-in-the-sun outfits. 

The subject of summertime and anti-Blackness brings me back to a retail job where I faced micro-aggressions from co-workers and customers who were completely oblivious to the impact of their words. 

Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Chester Pierce coined the term micro-aggressions to refer to “subtle, stunning, often automatic, and non-verbal [or subliminal] exchanges which are ‘put downs’ of blacks by offenders.”

The first instance of this particular micro-aggression, from a non-white person, happened a couple of years ago at a Calgary store that will be unnamed:

A co-worker, on her break, was trying on clothes she had been eyeing during her shift. She came out of her fitting room to check out an outfit in the mirror, and to get feedback from us co-workers.

All I remember is hearing something to the effect of “Does this colour make me look dark?” Of course, with a disparaging tone.

Call me sensitive, but my heart sank a little bit. I remember being really disappointed, probably because this is before I had accepted how deeply ingrained anti-Blackness is, even in “well-meaning” people, and this was said by another (non-Black) person of colour at that. It really intensified that sense of “damn, I really can’t escape this shit.”

I heard that same concern about fabric colour and skin tone expressed a few times, after that shift, and I never called it out.

I know that calling out anti-Blackness can have serious socio-economic consequences. But looking back, I also feel like if I had pointed out the subliminal diss, even if I had been met with “Oh no, that’s not what I meant!” the anti-Blackness of that statement would have been undeniable, even if, outwardly, the person chose denial.

Micro-aggressions offer a particular window into a person’s mindset. 

“Micro-aggressive slights and snubs are fraught with societally enforced racial values of white supremacy that are unconsciously expressed and consciously denied. The transmitter of the micro-aggression truly and honestly views each communication as inconsequential and insignificant. Even when white people [not that it applies in this case] are mildly aware that they said or did something that disturbed a black person, they may attribute the discomfort to the black person’s over-sensitivity. Because they didn’t intend to cause harm, they don’t recognize the impact of the racial slight” 

-  Sue, Capodilupo, & Holder, 2008

Micro-aggressions have mental health effects. They impact one’s self-esteem when internalized, which in turn, impacts the way one walks into a room, or their vibrancy on a night out with friends. The effects of microaggressions are cumulative:

“While on the surface each communication may appear to be minimal, the cumulative effect induces intense psychological and physical reactions as the victim of the aggression deploys emotional, physical, and spiritual energy to maintain their personhood.” 

- Christine Schmidt, LCSW, CGP 

Let me repeat this: EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL and SPIRITUAL ENERGY to maintain our PERSONHOOD. No wonder we are TIRED.

If you’ve been following the anti-racism conversation long enough, or have lived experience, you probably know all of this anyway. But, I want to take the time to shout out the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundation (CCMF) who, as an organization, has led the conversation about microaggressions here in Calgary.

To learn more about microaggressions, their impact on racialized Canadians as well as the Canadian Cultural Mosaic Foundations’ overall anti-racism efforts, visit:

Instagram: @canadiancmf

Website: canadianculturalmosaicfoundation.com

Facebook: facebook.com/canadianculturalmosaicfoundation

References:

Anatomy of Racial Micro-Aggressions

https://doi-org.libproxy.mtroyal.ca/10.1080/00207284.2017.1421469