Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access 101

There are three types of microaggressions.

1) Microinsults refer to subtle insensitive comments and/or behaviors (often unconscious) related to a person’s identity.

• Example: “Helping” a wheelchair user without asking if they would like assistance​

2)Microassaults refer to conscious and intentionally biased/discriminatory comments and/or behaviors related to a person's identity​.

• Example: Using racial slurs; denying accommodations for trans persons​

3) Microinvalidations refer to the subtle exclusion or negation of one's feelings and/or experiential reality related to that person's identity. 

• Example: Repeatedly asking someone where they were born; Saying that you are “color-blind”

Often, when you point out that someone engaged with a microaggression, their response can be focused on defending their intention and displacing blame. For example, “You completely misunderstood what I was saying. It was just a joke." Or,  "My intention was not to hurt you. Why are you being so sensitive?" 

To be successful, Dr. Derald Wing Sue advises folks to focus on the impact of a microaggression so someone can understand what happened and how they may have caused pain. Microinterventions must address the underlying message. 

There are three steps to intervening with microaggressions when you notice someone else behaving in a problematic way and/or when you hear someone making discriminatory comments. 

Name It

If you hear someone making discriminatory comments or you notice someone behaving in a problematic way, call attention to the problematic behavior or comment that was made and address it out loud.

Example: I overheard you talking about having a "pow wow." Do you know where that term came from? Some people have no idea that it is actually an offensive appropriation of a term of great cultural importance to Indigenous folks.​

Claim It

State why you are uncomfortable, upset, offended or why someone else (who the comment is directed towards) may feel that way. 

Example: Woah. The assumption you just made about trans folks makes me feel uncomfortable. I know it maybe wasn't your intention to stereotype, but what you said could easily be interpreted in a hurtful and offensive way. 

Stop It

Ask questions and seek to understand. Have the person explain why they said what they did or why they are behaving in that way. Finish by expressing your feelings of discomfort with future directives. ​

Example: Can you explain that joke to me? I don't think making light of sexual assault like that is funny. In the future, I'd appreciate if you wouldn't make jokes like that.

Now, if you are being addressed because of problematic behavior and/or because you made a discriminatory comment (regardless of your intent) the following is critical to remember: 

• Stop before you respond or react. Do not take it personal. It is not about you; it is about that person who has been impacted. 
• Do not justify why your actions should not be interpreted as a microaggression because you have a [insert marginalized identity] friend.
• Recognize your impact, reflect on what has been said, and understand where you need to grow. 
• Own the impact and correct your behavior. 
• Diligently work to be better and not make the same mistake(s). 

It is your responsibility to be aware of your own unconscious bias, to be observant of others, and to notice reactions of those in the room to know when to intervene.

Examples of cultural appropriation include, but are not limited to:

• A person who is non-native or indigenous wearing feathered headdresses or traditional regalia as costumes during Halloween.
• Celebrating Cinco de Mayo (often mistaken as Mexico's Independence Day) as an excuse to drink, wear sombreros and/or other traditional regalia. 
• A person of non-asian or pacific islander decent wearing chopsticks in their hair or getting a tribal tattoo. 
• Stereotypical themed parties like a "thug party" or "cowboys and Indians." 
• Wearing any colored-face that is not yours i.e. blackface, brownface, redface, yellowface etc. 
• Dressing up as the opposite gender for entertainment i.e. "gender-bender day". This is different from drag culture. 

When folks are participating in this type of behavior, it negates and trivializes the historical, cultural, and ancestral practices that are sacred and meaningful. 

Reflection: “When in doubt, back out”

As a general rule, if you have any doubts about whether something would be considered cultural appropriation, do not do it. It is better to avoid any means of culture appropriation rather than taking a risk and running into the possibility of disrespecting a culture.

This does not mean to live life in a state of avoidance or inaction. However, when you do have doubts or hesitation, it is valuable to take the initiative and learn about cultures and the significance behind their customs, symbols, regalia, etc.

When you are unsure whether something may or may not be culturally sacred, it is important to discover and unpack "the why" of your uncertainty (is it warranted or is it not) in order to expand your level of cultural awareness. The key is reflection. 

Cultural Appreciation

There are ways a person can learn to appreciate a culture and their customs. It all starts with researching the culture and learning about its history. With more information about a culture, you will learn what is considered sacred, and thus, something you could never “borrow”. Referencing the examples of cultural appropriation we provided in the previous tab, a non-indigenous person who understands the tradition and significance behind the feather headdress would know it is never appropriate to put one on.

With cultural knowledge, you will be able to diminish the portrayal of problematic stereotypes and instead develop an appreciation for customs and traditions that have intimate, historical meaning. 

Question everything you believe to be true all the time.

We have been conditioned as a society to understand the world based on biased, white-washed, and often incomplete information. We have been taught that there is only one way of thinking and if you deviate outside of that it must be incorrect. By teaching us not to question what we are told and by reinforcing the same inaccurate messages in every aspect of our lives (school, laws, families, peers, music, TV etc.) we do not change the status quo and inequity remains. 

So, start to unpack what you have been taught. What biases have you learned to be true about marginalized groups? Who is in your inner circle--do they all look like you? Why does our nation only celebrate certain holidays? Why do you attribute certain roles and characteristics to someone based on their gender, race, ability-status, socioeconomic status etc.? 

To achieve equity and to liberate yourself and others, you must question with an open-mind. 

Before you can advocate for equity, you must understand your own identities and how they can serve as privilege or oppression in different contexts. 

Ask yourself, how much space am I taking up in conversations? In the organizations I am participating in? How much do I know about those I am trying to work with and support? What are my assumptions about marginalized persons and how am I actively contributing to their oppression?

Below outline critical responsibilities you have as an ally in relation to understanding yourself within an oppressive system, provided by The Anti-Oppression Network:

• It is your responsibility to do the intentional self-work to actively acknowledge when you are operating in a position of power that is perpetuating inequity and openly discuss why that is a problem.
• Build a personal capacity to receive criticism and hold yourself accountable for making mistakes. 
• Your needs MUST come secondary to the people you are seeking to work with. Recognize that part of the privilege of our identity is that we have a choice about whether or not to resist oppression; we do not expect the people we seek to work with to provide emotional support (and we’re grateful if they do).
• Redirect attention to the groups we are supporting, and the issues they face, when any social recognition is given to you.

Allyship is not a title; it is a verb, an action. For example, you cannot say, "I do not stand for racism," and then be silent when you witness discrimination.

Below are ways that you can involve yourself in the fight for change: 

• Advocate for issues related social justice reform and equity progression
• Amplify (online and in-person) the voices of those without your same privilege
• Research histories of marginalized groups and invest in your cultural awareness development 
• Volunteer for non-profit organizations devoted to social justice reform and equity progression

These actions can help you recognize and navigate situations where you will need to intervene. Intervention not only requires you to address the problematic incident(s) BUT it requires you to bring attention to the root issue(s) of the incident(s) when implementing change and behavioral correction. 

Below are example of problematic situations that warrant your intervention:

• Offensive identity charged jokes
• Microaggressions
• Misuse of pronouns/Misgendering someone

Remember that involving yourself in the fight for equity is an on-going, intentional process. In order to uphold and advocate for equity, you must continually and consistently remain active. 

This work requires constant, consistent, and intentional engagement with yourself and others that you interact with on a daily basis. Just like anything else you aspire to change in yourself or in your environment, you must commit that same time and effort in showing up as an ally and advocating for necessary change.

Transformation is not easy. It is the result of:

• Remaining present when you are uncomfortable;
• Accepting that you are part of the problem so you can work to change it;
• Learning how to empathize with others’ experiences that are different than your own;
• Making mistakes and correcting your behaviors to be better tomorrow;
• Educating yourself and those around you (it is not the burden of the oppressed to teach you); and
• Showing up with thoughtful action that matches your words.

In order to grow and become a better version of yourself, you must do what you have not done before. 

We acknowledge that it is difficult to do this; consciously choosing to unlearn everything you have been taught about navigating the world. But you are where the change starts. Hold yourself and those around you accountable. As you continue on in this work, operate on the assumption that people are doing their best, most of the time. Remember, you do not know what you do not know; but when you do know, you need to do better--shout out to Maya Angelou.

Have you ever started thinking about how you plan to respond to someone while they are still finishing their sentence? Typically, you start your response with a brief acknowledgement of what they said and then respond with, "BUT..." and carry on with your point; which often goes against what the other person said. It's safe to assume that we have all done this at some point and are familiar with the action of listening to respond.

You may be thinking, but sometimes our response is to provide the other person additional insight or a new perspective. The intention is not always to shut someone down or poke holes in what they said, but instead it is to engage in further dialogue.

While that is a great point, and totally valid, there are also considerations about how it can be beneficial to truly acknowledge someone else's truth before providing personal input. Seeking to understand before seeking to be understood. 

Now, we are not saying do not challenge anyone to consider new thoughts and perspectives. Dialogue is critical to growth. Instead, we are encouraging you to reframe how you think about dialogue. A first step in doing so is to replace "but,"  with "yes, and." 

"But" translates into something that you may object to; something that is apart from and/or separate. "And" translates into connecting words or thoughts; adding to something and/or introducing a new thought. While we are talking about this linguistically, it also is a metaphor for reframing your thought processes to become more open-minded and empathetic. 

All of our lived experiences are a culmination of our social identities interacting within a system of oppression. Your world view will not look like anyone else's world view. However, just because you do not have the same perspective or the same lived experiences, that does not make your world view untrue. We have been traditionally taught that there is only one answer; however in reality, there are a multiplicity of truths that coexist. Fluidity in thought and understanding is something to appreciate; it allows us to intentionally engage with others and with ourselves.