Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week we have been discussing microaggressions and learning how to become aware so there are no unintentional wound or scars created. After thinking back over this week, I can recall where microagression occurred this past weekend with my husband.

I was sitting at the park watching my daughter play with her friends. Several people from the neighborhood are sitting and discussing different things. My husband pulls up in his truck, playing music of his choice, all dressed and prepared to go fishing. Right behind him is his best friend Mike who is caucasian. Eric and Mike walks over to me and Eric tells me that he is going to spend the day fishing with Mike. He tells me if I need anything to call him or simply drive to the lake. They planned to hang out fishing overnight. I tell him okay and that my daughter and I will drop by to check on them or bring them things that they've left like always.

As my husband and Mike walk away, one of the my neighbors says, "Why does your husband hang with him. All they like like to do is white boy stuff. Your husband is getting turned out". I was very confused by the term white boy stuff. I never saw fishing as being of a particular race.

This made me feel outraged. Here are two people that enjoy doing things that they both like together and they are being criticized for that. Some people will never grow up. I become upset when people associate music to a particular race, when they associate hobbies to a particular race and etc.

I have learned from the readings that this is something that will probably never change. People at times do not intend to hurt you but they haven't taken the time to realize what they say may affect you as a human.

My plan is to educate all people that I associate around me. I printed the conversation from the resources and plan to discuss this with my Lead Teachers today during our Leads meeting. Teachers need to know how important this is.  When working with children and people, we do not want any person to feel like they are being a target. We know that it happens, even with the ones that you feel comfortable around.

This was such a great topic.