Reactions to all articles in 1-2 pages

A white student to a black Professor: "What do you mean Ask the speaker to elaborate. student: "Well, you're lucky by that?" This will give you more inform- you're here at Holy Cross." White student: "Well, you ation about where they are know, affirmative action." coming from, and may also help the speaker to become Then you have the opportunity aware of what they are saying. Theme: Myth of meritocracy to address the misconceptions

and stereotypes about "Say more about that." affirmative action (ie, that "Can you elaborate your point?" white women are the primary

beneficiaries of affirmative action).

REFLECT "As a woman, I know what "So it sounds like you're Mirror what the speaker is you go through as a racial equating gender and racial saying. This can help make the minority." oppression. What are people's invisible (ie, unconscious thoughts on that?" bias) visible for the speaker. KEY PHRASES: Theme: denial of inidividual "So it sounds like you think…" racism. "So, what I heard you say…"

REFRAME "If people of color just worked "Let's try re-framing that for Create a different way for harder, they wouldn't have to a moment. What are people's students to look at a situation. go on Welfare or collect thoughts about systemic KEY PHRASES: unemployment." barriers that disproportionately "Have you ever thought about affect people of color? it like this…" Theme: Myth of meritocracy

RE-DIRECT Heterosexual student to Professor: "Let's open the Shift the focus to a different LGBTQ identified student: conversation up to everyone. person or topic. "What do gay people think What do you all think of the *Particularly helpful when of the state of marriage state of marriage equality?" someone is asked to speak equality?" for their entire race, cultural group, etc. KEY PHRASES: Theme: Token asked to speak "Let's shift the conversation…" for or represent a group.

Adapted from Northnode Domestic Violence Curriculum, 2008

Greta Kenney, College of the Holy Cross, Diversity Leadership & Education -- [email protected]

Interrupting Microaggressions

APPROACH MICROAGGRESSION INTERVENTION

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KEY PHRASES:

REVISIT "Yeah, but HC Puerto Ricans Professor: "Last week in class Even if the moment, or micro- aren't normal Puerto Ricans." when we were talking about aggression has passed, go back diversity at HC, someone re- and address it. marked that the Puerto Rican *This is important, as research students on campus don't indicates that unaddressed act like "normal" Puerto microaggression can leave just Ricans. Let's revisit that. as much of a negative impact What do we mean by as the microaggression itself. "normal"? KEY PHRASES: "I want to go back to something that was brought up in class last week." "Let's rewind five minutes…"

CHECK IN Heterosexual student in class Professor: "I just wanted to After class, during office hours, (with an LGBTQ identified check in about class today over email, etc check in student who has come out to when we were talking about with students -- both those who you): "I just don't understand sexual orientation and the verbalized microaggressions why gay people don't try conversation turned to and those who may have been conversion therapy. It's much conversion therapy. How are affected or offended by the easier to be straight." you doing?" microaggression. *This is important, as research indicates that unaddressed microaggressions can leave just as much of a negative impact as the microaggression itself.

KEY PHRASES: I'm going to interject here… What do you mean by that…. Let me pause you there… Say more about that… So, it sound like you're saying… Let's try reframing this…

Avoid starting questions with "Why" -- it leaves people feeling defensive. Instead try "Tell me more about that."

When addressing a microaggression in class, try to avoid using the pronoun "you" -- it leaves people feeling defensive, and it keeps the conversation narrow (between the professor and the one student). Instead, try using the pronouns "we" or "us" -- it opens the conversation up to the entire class.

Adapted from Northnode Domestic Violence Curriculum, 2008

Greta Kenney, College of the Holy Cross, Diversity Leadership & Education -- [email protected]

APPROACH MICROAGGRESSION INTERVENTION