Everyday Racism and Microaggressions
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man (Uploaded: 6/3/20, length: 9:27 minutes)
https://youtu.be/watch?v=h8jUA7JBkF4
This video is very informative. Emmanuel Acho, a Black YouTuber, explains a number of things from white privilege to why rioting occurred in the summer of 2020. He covers a number of topics and uses metaphors and examples to help people understand the things black people deal with on a day-to-day to basis. The video is mainly aimed at white people who want to learn more, and it can be extremely helpful for people who may need an extra push to grasp the realities of racial oppression in America.
What Does Diversity Mean to You? (Uploaded: 10/24/16, length: 4:24 minutes)
This video comes from the University at Buffalo’s Center for Educational Innovation. It can be a great tool to spark discussions about the meaning of diversity. The video shows college students of different races talking about how their inner and outer selves differ. One key idea is for people not to compare their own insides with other peoples’ outsides. Everybody has a backstory, and having conversations allows us to learn more about each other.
Teenagers Discuss Microaggressions and Racism #HatchKids (Uploaded: 2/5/15, length: 1:49 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RfwnibEd3A
This video displays a group of young girls of color talking about microaggressions they have experienced. A lot of times when people discuss microaggressions they are in the workplace, or experienced by adults, so it is interesting to see this from a youth perspective.
What It’s Like to Grow Up as Black Girls in America – Lexi Underwood & Hatch Girls Discuss Racism (Uploaded: 2/28/21, length: 5:49 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B2QVfl_730
This video shows young Black girls and some Black mothers discussing what it means to be a Black girl or woman in America. The mothers discuss raising young Black women, and the messages they want their daughters to know. The girls are very aware of challenges they face day-to-day, but are confident in being able to make positive change.
NIVEDHAN | An Animated Short (Uploaded: 3/3/19, length: 4:04 minutes)
Nivedhan Singh is an Indian American man who captures the long-term impact daily microaggressions have had on his life – from worrying when his name would be called on the first day of class to a camp counselor giving him a nickname. The power of our names is something to be respected by others, and knowing how to pronounce the names of people from other cultures is a step toward inclusive, anti-racist living.
Eliminating Microaggressions: The Next Level of Inclusion (Uploaded: 12/9/19, length: 8:59 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPqVit6TJjw
This video is a Tedx Talk on microaggressions. The presenter, Tiffany Alvoid, is an attorney who earned her degree from UCLA School of Law with a concentration in Critical Race Theory. She created this training to raise awareness about how destructive microaggressions can be in the workplace. Tiffany’s training focuses on the historical context that makes certain phrases offensive in an effort to help participants understand the unique perspective of marginalized groups.
Diversity take to the stage with POWERFUL Black Lives Matter performance (Uploaded: 9/5/20, length: 4:17 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFNKFitHjw
This video is about diversity and what is going on in contemporary American life. Diversity created a performance in Britain’s Got Talent about incidents of racial injustice that occurred in 2020, including incidents of police brutality towards people of color and the resulting Black Lives Matter protests.
Examples of Workplace Microaggressions (Uploaded: 7/18/19, length: 1:53 minutes)
This video talks about many different examples of microaggression in the workplace. One example is a white woman reaching for a Black woman’s hair, and she gets uncomfortable and backs away. Another example is asking about the skin color of a coworker and where their family originate
d. The coworker responds by saying from “here.” These microaggressions can make coworkers of different cultures, races, colors, and ethnicities feel unwelcome and negatively impact the workplace culture.
Racism and White Privilege
Sometimes You’re a Caterpillar – Explaining White Privilege (Uploaded: 3/24/15, length: 3:18 minutes)
This a short, animated video with narration that is from Chescaleigh. The narrator discusses a scenario with a snail and a caterpillar who are friends and realize they have different life experiences. The caterpillar realizes he has a certain level of privilege since he doesn’t have a shell like the snail, and some things are easier for him. This video is a great way to describe white privilege and to show how people can work together to challenge systemic privilege.
James Corden Gets a Lesson on White Privilege (Uploaded: 6/5/20, length: 5:01 minutes)
This video on white privilege is from The Late Late Show with James Corden. James and one of his writers, Olivia, talk in a quasi-skit discussing white privilege, which is very informative because it brings up a lot of common phrases used on this topic. For example, James says that he feels bad when he finds out he has white privilege, and Olivia advises him that it is important to uplift the voices of BIPOC and not to make it about you.
How White Privilege Works | Unpack That (Uploaded: 8/15/18, length: 3:59 minutes)
This video from The Root on white privilege offers a number of specific ways that white privilege is perpetuated, including things most people may not even think about, like the complementary bath products offered at hotels. It addresses how white privilege affects almost everything in society, and explains why it cannot and should not be ignored.
What Is Privilege? (Uploaded: 7/4/15, length: 3:59 minutes)
This video shows a “privilege walk” that asks people to step forward if they answer “yes” to a series of questions. The questions are designed to show privileges that many people have. If you answer yes to the question, you take one step forward. At the end, we see how some people have much more privilege than others and the advantages this can bring. This provides a good visual example of how certain people have more privilege than others.
Health: A White Privilege? (Written: 10/10/17, article) https://centerforhealthprogress.org/blog/publications/health-white-privilege/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA1KiBBhCcARIsAPWqoSo-vTmfKUgTB_t-0V6S2M85Xh91mAMuUwe4rUqBBt-kD3uD9317I-QaAiAiEALw_wcB
This two-page factsheet from the Center for Health Progress talks about what white privilege is, and it gives some examples of privilege that people experience. It refers to differences in education, income, housing, and health care. The article talks about how many disparities, faced disproportionately by Black communities, are linked to institutions perpetuating systemic racism.
Here’s What Black People Really Want White People To Do (Uploaded: 8/29/17, length: 1:59 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmE4EXy1-7k
This video talks about how some Black people want White people to address racism and microaggressions. Some examples from the video are to do your research and to “use Google” to understand what is happening in the world right now. Another point of emphasis was to be an upstander – if you “see something, say something.” Do not just sit by and allow the mistreatment of Black people. This video also discusses how the biggest impact you can have is in your own community.
Why Diversity Matters (Uploaded:8/26/16, length 2:08 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGAfVESqB-g
The progressive Rainbow PUSH Coalition praised Hewlett Packard Enterprise for creating “the most diverse boards of any tech company in America.” And, earlier this year, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce commended the company for “seeking to reflect the diversity of the communities it serves in its Board of Directors.” CEO Meg Whitman and HPE Board of Directors members Pat Russo, Pam Carter, and Maggie Wilderodder discuss the importance of diversity in this video.
Intersectional Identities
Kimberlé Crenshaw: What is Intersectionality? (Uploaded: 6/22/18, length: 1:54 minutes)
This video, from the National Association of Independent Schools, talks about intersectional identities and why they are important. Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined the term in 1989, is still talking about it in 2018. She created this word as a way to help explain the multiple oppressions faced by African American women. Crenshaw’s term is now at the forefront of national conversations about racial justice, identity politics, and policing—and over the years it has helped shape legal discussions.
Black And Muslim — A Complicated Identity (Uploaded: 7/14/16, length: 2:16 minutes)
This video is from Ameerah Sanders, a Black Muslim woman, who explains what her life is like being caught between these two identities. She explains her situation, telling people that she is tired of explaining over and over again who she is.
Queer Eye’s Tan France on being a gay Muslim (Uploaded: 3/19/19, length: 3:18 minutes)
This is a video from Queer Eye‘s Tan France. France talks about being Muslim and gay. He explains himself and his situation really well, telling people what it is like to live with these identities.
Muslim Feminist Jerin Arifa On Intersectional Feminism | Op-Ed | NowThis (Uploaded: 6/28/18, 4:35 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJZvI7m2Suc
Jerin Arifa is a first-generation Bangladeshi and American-Muslim feminist who works to end body shaming, racism, poverty, and anti-LGBTQIA+ hatred. Arifa is an award-winning activist whose contributions have been recognized by President Barack Obama and who was the National Organization of Women’s (NOW) #WomanHero in March 2021. In this video she gives an in-depth explanation of how intersectional feminism started, her own experiences on why she is an intersectional feminist, and tells you why you should be one too.
Things Not To Say To Someone Who Wears A Burqa (Uploaded: 8/1/17, length: 6:15 minutes)
In this video, several women talk about the comments they receive regarding what they wear on their heads, and how these stereotypes impact them. An example they give is being asked by someone “Are you forced to wear that?” and they respond by saying that open-ended questions are much better, such as “Why do you wear that?” or “For what purpose do you wear that?”
Anti-Racism and Allyship
5 Tips for Being an Ally (Uploaded: 11/22/14, length: 3:31 minutes)
This short video has five quick tips for how to be a good ally. It is helpful as an introduction to allyship, to help people understand what their role as an ally can look like. The woman speaking outlines a number of human rights issues where these tips can be helpful, making them broadly applicable. She also adds some links in the description of the video for further research and understanding.
Netflix Culture – Allyship (Uploaded: 11/13/19, length: 2:54 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hJknn4NVBY
This video was created by employees of Netflix, who come from all different backgrounds. They explain privilege in an interesting way, stating that unless you’ve been in someone’s shoes, and experienced what they have, you have no idea what it feels like to be that person. They give an inspiring message, that everyone can be an ally, and that everyone can make the world a little bit better through compassion and understanding.
How to raise kids to be anti-racist and talk to them about racism (Uploaded: 6/3/20, length: 5:13 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sth6VBHsncw
This is an interview between CBS and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, a well-known scholar on anti-racism. He explains the importance of talking to children about racism and how to be an anti-racist.
Don’t Put People in Boxes (Uploaded: 5/22/17, length: 4:24 minutes)
This video talks about how we should not put people in boxes. It started out with groups of people standing in different boxes. Then, as questions are asked, people step out of the box. Watching this video helps the viewer realize that there is often someone who has something in common with you, even if their appearance may be quite different. A similar version of this video was created by St. John Fisher College students, and it includes people from the Rochester community: We Are Rochester (Uploaded: 4/27/17, length: 4:10 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP2J33tsBWE
Supporting cultural and linguistic diversity in early childhood (Uploaded: 8/4/11, length: 4:55)
Watch educators at an inclusive, culturally diverse preschool work together to embed children’s home cultures and languages in everyday preschool routines. See this excerpt from “Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education: A Cross-Cultural Competence Video Library” by Deborah Chen, Ph.D., Michele Haney, Ph.D., and Annie Cox, M.A.
Brené Brown on Empathy (Uploaded: 12/10/15, length: 2:53 minutes)
This animated video features nationally-known lecturer and researcher, Dr. Brené Brown, talking about empathy and how to connect with others in a way that acknowledges our common humanity. There are four qualities of empathy, and Brown reminds us that we can only create a genuine empathic connection if we are brave enough to really get in touch with our own fragilities.
LGBTQIA+
Gender Identity and Pronouns – What Will You Teach the World? (Uploaded: 6/7/17, length: 3:42 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Fh60GEB5E
This animated video discusses gender identity and pronouns. The narrator, Tristan, from the Pride Center of Edmonton, Canada is very upbeat and encouraging, explaining these terms and concepts in a helpful way that can inspire people to learn and to improve. The information presented in this video may appeal to people who want to become more knowledgeable about different gender identities, as well as those who want to help educate others. He also makes it known that it is okay to make mistakes when it comes to other people’s pronouns, which sometimes people forget. As long as you make an effort, the other person will likely appreciate it.
Things Not To Say To A Non-Binary Person (Uploaded: 6/27/2017, length: 6:51 minutes)
This video explains what it is like to spend a day with someone who identifies as Non-Binary and the questions they receive on a daily basis. They tell you how exhausting it is to hear these questions, and they give advice on what not to say and how to respect them and their unique gender identity.
LGBTQ | How You See Me (Uploaded: 11/21/16, length: 3:33 minutes)
This video talks about sexual orientation and people’s coming out stories. This can be a great resource because people give different experiences on what it was like to come out, what it was like to fit into the LGBTQIA+ community, and what it means for them to identify as they do. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community speak about their experiences and how others perceive them, which might appeal to members of the LGBTQIA+ community, if they identify with these stories, and it can also appeal to those who are not LGBTQIA+, in order to become more educated and understanding.
What are the symptoms of gender dysphoria? Transgender man explains (Uploaded: 4/20/20, length: 2:35 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgrSSlqUukA
This video talks about gender dysphoria, and what it is like to go experience gender dysphoria as a Trans person or Non-Binary person. It can be a great resource to help those who might be going through gender dysphoria, as well as to help those who aren’t gender dysphoric to better understand this community. They also give resources in the description that are very helpful if someone is experiencing gender dysphoria, so that they may experience gender euphoria later on in their journey.
Financial challenges faced by LGBTQ community (Uploaded: 7/23/19, length: 3:40 minutes)
This video takes a different approach, by discussing financial challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community that are not widely known. The video focuses on various topics, such as pay gaps, benefits, and job security. The speaker is Michelle Li of Take 5. This video is important in order to grasp systemic financial inequities faced within the LGBTQIA+ community.
Things Not To Say To Gay People (Uploaded: 4/17/18, length 5:51)
Whether it’s telling you that you don’t “seem gay,” or assuming you’ll be attracted to a person you’ve never met, heterosexual people still say a lot of questionable things to gay people. Here, eight men and women explain why, among other things, they don’t want to be anyone’s “gay best friend.”
Disabilities
DISABILITY | How You See Me (Uploaded: 1/9/17, length: 2:23 minutes)
This video interviews multiple people who live with physical disabilities. A disability does not define who a person is, and it does not make a person any less wonderful or beautiful. Individuals in the video demonstrate that they will make their mark on the world.
Zach Anner & The Quest for the Rainbow Bagel (Uploaded: 3/20/17, length: 6:57 minutes)
This video has a powerful message. It shows the challenges that a man in a wheelchair has to go through just to get a bagel. There are not nearly enough accommodations for people who have physical disabilities in everyday public spaces. This video shows how many cities do not have accommodations for people with disabilities. Simple challenges, like going to the store, can be very difficult for people who need physical accommodations.
Things People With Disabilities Wish You Knew (Uploaded: 5/30/18, length: 4:57 minutes)
This video discusses common myths about people with disabilities. Common themes that arise for people with disabilities include that we often want people to ask us questions, so the public is more educated, but we do not want people to assume we need help or to assist us without our consent.
How to Treat a Person with Disabilities, According to People with Disabilities (Uploaded: 9/2/19, length: 3:51 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7eFfWrPai4
This is a short clip made by Vice that talks about how to treat people with disabilities, according to people who have disabilities, such as cerebral palsy and paralyzed vocal chords. It discusses how to not make assumptions, how it’s better to first ask people before helping them, and how not to react to someone’s disability with pity. The video uses first-hand experience, which is important when talking about identity-related subjects because viewers can step into the shoes of another person and view life through their eyes.
Invisible Disabilities (Uploaded 11/5/19, length 1:50 minutes)
This is a short video that discusses what invisible disabilities are and some of the ways that they can affect people who have them. There are examples of more common disabilities like anxiety, depression, and asthma. There are subtle things that not everyone can see that can have a big impact on the lives of these individuals. The video ends by telling the audience what you can do to help someone who is struggling. Asking “Are you okay?” or “Is there anything I can do to help?” are little actions that can go a long way to help people who are struggling.
How Much Do You REALLY Know About Autism? (Uploaded: 7/24/2017, length: 3:51 minutes)
This video gives a lot of good information about what it is like to have Autism and how it affects people who have it. This is a really great resource for people who may think they, or someone they know, has Autism or if they want to know more about Autism as a whole.
Mental Health: Activist Burnout, Racial Trauma and Healing, Bodies of Color
How to Handle Burnout When Fighting Racism (Uploaded: 4/2/18, length: 2:30 minutes)
This source talks about what people of color and activists who are dealing with burnout can do to help and manage burnout. This video emphasizes the importance of practicing self-care and self-love when being engaged in social justice work. In addition, the individuals speaking give the viewer a sense of reassurance that their work is valuable and that it is making a difference in our world.
How can activists avoid burnout? (Uploaded: 11/26/17, length: 6:20 minutes)
Hava Gordon is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Denver. She answers the question: “How do activists avoid burnout?”
Things Black Men Are Tired Of Hearing (Uploaded: 3/1/15, length: 1:50 minutes)
This source mentions a list of microaggressions that have been said to men of color and their impact on men of color. Men of color are tired of being seen one-dimensionally and often in a negative light.
How to recover from activism burnout | Yana Buhrer Tavanier (Uploaded: 5/22/19, length: 7:56 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC5n91vKDZg
TED Senior Fellow Yana Buhrer Tavanier explores the power of “playtivism” – the incorporation of play and creativity into movements for social change. See how this versatile approach can spark new ideas, propel action, and melt fear.
Experiencing Racial Trauma (Uploaded: 1/15/20, length: 03:27 minutes)
In this video, a woman of color talks about experiences that have caused her racial trauma. Her experiences include witnessing incidents that have happened to other people and experiences that have directly affected her.
Understanding Racial Trauma (Uploaded: 6/22/20, length: 04:23 minutes)
Racial trauma is not just something that people of color experience on a regular basis, it is something into which they are born. Racial trauma has a collective impact on the mental and physical health of an individual. Experiences causing racial trauma can come from discrimination in the workplace, hate crimes, or an overall accumulation of systemic oppressions and microaggressions. This video is a way for people to understand what defines racial trauma. It gives valuable perspectives from various people of color who have experienced racial trauma.
Things Black Girls Are Tired of Hearing (Uploaded: 1/8/16, length: 01:38 minutes)
In this short video, the topic of microaggressions is discussed and how everyday words and actions negatively affect Black girls. Multiple examples of microaggressions were talked about, such as “You’re pretty for a Black girl” (implying that Blackness is not pretty) and “You talk well for a Black girl” (implying that people of color are not smart). People of color are tired of these constant sayings and this contributes to activist burnout.
