Subtle Acts of Exclusion

1There’s Nothing Micro about It

THE TERM “MICROAGGRESSION” originated in the early 1970s with the work of Harvard psychiatrist Chester M. Pierce.¹ First applied to describe insults against Black Americans and later against women, it has now become largely accepted as a way for people to talk about a wide range of issues related to discrimination, offense, and exclusion against any marginalized group. The term itself is well known in certain circles but largely unknown to most people. It’s most used in the context of higher education, linked to a growing consciousness of students who speak up for injustices they see, including subtle verbal injustices in the classroom and on campus.

The Reaction against the Concept of Microaggressions and Our ...