Why Microaggressions Aren’t So Micro | Whitney Grinnage-Cassidy | TEDxYouth@UrsulineAcademy

Why should race be your defining characteristic? Students of color in predominantly white schools often struggle with this question as they are burdened with various microaggressions. Microaggressions have a larger effect on minority students than we realize, but change will not occur unless we learn to take ACTION against microaggressions.
-- Whitney is a junior at Ursuline Academy. She was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, where she lives with her mother. When she is not with her mother, Whitney spends many weekends with her father and step-family. Whitney is the Founder and President of Undefined, an affinity support club for the students of color attending Ursuline. She founded the group to give the African-American and Latino students a community that promotes the understanding of challenges that minority students face in a predominately white school. Through guest speakers, cultural celebration events, round-table discussions, and buddy system with the elementary students of color, Undefined has become a significant addition to formal education at Ursuline Academy.
Whitney is a member of Delaware Youth Leadership Network and Youth Advocacy Council. She participates in the TeenSHARP College Access Ambassadors Training program, which prepares students of color for success in top colleges and in future careers. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@Ablemaung]

Outside of breaking the law or causing someone physical harm, "hurting someone's feelings" is almost impossible to objectively quantify

[@cathymcelroy1794]

When someone tells you how they FEEL if you care about learning, you will listen. Establishing responsibility won’t help those who don’t want to change.

[@isaacbaker4338]

@@cathymcelroy1794 If you take the impact (the listener's subjective reaction) over the speaker's intention (good or bad or just normally speaking), the result is people who will be worried about speaking up because they could unwittingly cause offense. It is possible to say something "hey I find that term offensive," and hope a good intentioned speaker will apologize and change. If their intent is ill-willed, there is nothing you can do about it. People have told me "sorry didn't mean it that way," and others have said "you're the problem" when asked what their problem was. If you can't drop it right there and go on with your life, you'll never be able to move on to things that actually warrant your time, like your studies or your personal development.

[@dont1026]

Why should people care what people think of you. They dont define who I am, I do

[@jackieburns5257]

Microaggressions also signal a potential threat. You doubt your security? Will you be treated equally? What is the mindset of people around me? Are they safe? Non violent ? Are they planning my demise because they see you as the " other "?

[@TradBarbie]

😂

[@tj8262]

Their response laughing to the situation given about Donte messing up on code switching is another example. Y’all are pure examples.

[@prodson8310]

Really?

[@prodson8310]

Cap. The entire video CAP.

[@sabrinam2804]

That was a rough moment.

[@AnonymousC-lm6tc]

There is. no rule dictating that you must “code switch”. You’re placing undue pressure on yourself for no reason. It’s embarrassing.

[@Beevi.Leclosion]

thank you

[@davidadams2395]

Some of the examples are less micro- and more macro-aggression: the track meet comment was racism without apparent malice.

[@rachelryan656]

This video really helped me understand what microaggressions are and why they are harmful. What was really helpful was the explanation of how to deal with microaggressions in a healthy way. Thank you, this had helped me a lot!

[@localtravelguide731]

Amazing

[@ccwnoob4393]

Eliminating micro-aggressions is the first step towards eradicating nano-aggressions.

[@wilsoncruz1952]

And then pico aggressions.

[@dwarfshortages8265]

@@wilsoncruz1952 and then femto aggressions

[@wilsoncruz1952]

dwarf shortages: Then atto aggressions.

[@macbrebonicks8668]

Mega-Aggressions. Nothing unintentional.

[@neldacarlisle-gray6823]

Well done. Thanks for raising our awareness. This is important.👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏾

[@ccwnoob4393]

You shouldn't use the word "raising" - it's threatening to those of us who suffer from acrophobia

[@frantusso3331]

i love this!! thank you, whitney!

[@TheMrTTT]

Is it true that a perceived microaggression - even as silence - can be met with actual aggression and even violence? That may not be the intent but that is clearly the consequence; intended or unintended.

[@GoogleAccount00]

Thank you Whitney

[@letsjustchat]

THIS IS JUST GREAT!! Thank you

[@frickfrickfrickfrickfrickfrick]

Thank you - your explanation and the examples you provided made it really easy to understand. I'll definitely refer other people to watch this if they are struggling to understand.

[@breannepiper]

Beautifully put! What a great Ted Talk! Thank you for this work.

[@TheMrTTT]

Appeals to clowns.

[@nyk3334]

@@TheMrTTT ty

[@nunyadambidniss]

You call THAT, "Work" ???

[@chandrasavage1837]

This is so good.

[@nunyadambidniss]

You are so cringe.

[@tinafortin4282]

Well done!! That was beautiful. ACTION!!

[@Vivacious_Chaos]

Thank you for raising awarness surrounding micro-aggressions. Which can come from all sides and colors of people.

[@cylt5113]

Here's one: "O le wyt ti'n dod yn wreiddiol?"

[@matthewakian2]

Interesting.

[@vulgaritar48]

"Microaggression" is a term made up by and for people who want an excuse that society is to blame for their inability to get special treatment in competitive world when the reality is they're just mediocre.

[@saxoman1995]

So there's no such thing as professional business attire or proper english? Got it!

[@bookgirlny8511]

🤦‍♀️

[@therunawaygang76]

But who set the standard for "proper english and business attire?"

[@saxoman1995]

@@therunawaygang76 everyone in the workforce after the Industrial Revolution. You're not going to work in your boxer shorts nor are you working in a ball gown. So we know the boundaries of the standard lie somewhere in between. What exactly is that 'in between'? It's called professional work attire.

[@adriancyr4503]

Why tf should it matter the way someone is speaking if you still get the point? That is you picking and choosing what you like to hear. Doing the actual work properly is all that should matter.

[@zumbacin]

👍🏾

[@santiagonaranjogallego4592]

"Why should a difference define you?" isn´t that the damn sense of defining something?, so i can differentiate it from others?

[@lmitchener2554]

You completely missed the point.

[@borisjohnson1473]

@@lmitchener2554 There was no point. The whole concept is propagated by intellectual lightweights like this moron.

[@LegitimatePatriot]

Arguments formed with the sound logic of a true microintellect.

[@kianameresa8424]

👏🏾💛

[@tomdavy6765]

If you look for offense, you can always find it.

[@Hirohito_iLoveYou]

“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” 🔨

[@tictoc5443]

Our ethnicity religion socio economic group are a part of who we are Micro aggression is no good for anyone whatever group they are a part of

[@donking3540]

More like Marco aggression

[@naheemwatson1569]

A queen

[@naheemwatson1569]

THIS TEDx Talk is MUST WATCH. Breath-taking and eye-opening!

[@jjrjudithreichsman988]

Absolutely! Whitney Grinnage-Cassidy's talk should have thousands of likes and shares. Let's make it happen!

[@nunyadambidniss]

@@naheemwatson1569 Cringe-worthy and laughable!

[@nunyadambidniss]

@@jjrjudithreichsman988 You are quite the fine example of a mush-head aren't you ? :)

[@sharonhoxter1039]

Way to go Whitney! Ellen you must be so very proud!!!👍🏽👍🏽❤❤❤

[@tony_T_]

That didn't age well

[@nunyadambidniss]

Proud of WHAT ?? Being a water-brain ??

[@bronsondeliac2625]

This is why certain groups are always going to remain in 4th place 🙂

[@tony_T_]

Lets just make everybody robots so you don't have to feel bad about others being "special."

[@user-lg6qg2cf6x]

or we can strive to create respectful discourse and be less resistive to positive change.

[@kcarlsonmusic]

Well done Whitney! If you don't understand what she is talking about, is there something that you don't want to see?

[@nunyadambidniss]

Gobbldigook is what she's talking. Absolute nonsense.

[@nunyadambidniss]

@@CommunistBot Word Salad, LOL

[@nebulaorion716]

The age of waaaaaaaa I'm offended

[@The_Catnip]

Victim-mentality as its finest. Beautiful! lol

[@zadaofficial8091]

''why should my race define me?'' Because that's the only way you define yourself...Projection much?

[@obedasante3522]

smh, I cant believe she(I mean 'they') actually said that out loud. ideological possession

[@nunyadambidniss]

@@obedasante3522 SHE. SHE SHE SHE SHE SHE.

[@peterd4487]

People hear what they want to hear. Just looking at a sensitive person could trigger them.

[@ccwnoob4393]

You shouldn't use the word "trigger" because it incites fear of gun violence.

[@kurtdanielson993]

Triggering would be a reference to setting off a psychotic episode. So, just a little bit of mental illness involved.

[@wilsoncruz1952]

14:58 “...people begin to axe themselves...”. That would be suicidal.

[@jessed550]

Wilson Cruz hahaha! That is my pet peeve, it’s ASK!!!

[@elisereichard1652]

that's literally a microaggression luv

[@wilsoncruz1952]

Elise Reichard: Axing oneself is actually a very macro aggression.

[@kurtdanielson993]

Microaggression and unicorns. Both myths.

[@jw5031]

Professional victim... She should try out for the oppression olympics...

[@TheNinjapancake14]

Doesn't exist

[@lifadysi9418]

Try to see things from their perspective and how they feel. Empathy. It will make you a better person.

[@jw5031]

@@lifadysi9418 Life is full of things that will offend. Full of these so called "micro aggressions." Life doesn't care about feelings. If they cant handle normal everyday life without feeling constantly "oppressed", something is wrong mentally. The majority of the population doesn't live their daily lives thinking of these things, and having "focus groups" and "ted talks" over "micro aggressions". If their life is that bad, they can end it. It would be a win-win situation at that point: They wouldn't feel oppressed constantly, and the rest of us wont constantly have to hear about their problems. Does that make sense?

[@jjrjudithreichsman988]

​@@jw5031 No, that doesnt make sense. We've all been hurt by things people said or did at school -- do you remember some? I sure do -- boys throwing gum in my hair when i was a cheerleader... and more -- but i didn't have to stand it every day -- and i think a lot of People of Color have hundreds more hurtful things happen to them than happened to me. Thank you for taking the time to watch something that you might not agree with.

[@lawrence5957]

Judith Reichsman sorry I meant to tell you that there’s no point trying to use reason with someone that does not care about others but then I forgot I was talking to you and not him. So that’s why the comment is tagged to you.

[@bigt7697]

More like another reason to complain

[@C6J2O6]

Shouldn't microagression require a microresponse?

[@Jbsutt]

No. Because when you're trying to mask your own hate you have to amplify the original aggression. So, to these people, there really is no such thing as a microagression. Because after all, there's nothing "micro" about racism.....right? (Just sayin......this is how these germs think)