A 10-panel comic explores a subtle kind of racism many people of color experience

Upworthy Staff
Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:34:39 +0000
Race, Diversity and equality, Racism, Assumptions, People of color, Expectations

If we're being honest, we all make assumptions about other people, right?

We look at their skin, their clothes, and their car, and we make guesses about them that we don't even realize we're making. Everyone does it.

You ask a pregnant female coworker if she'll keep working after the baby is born—but you wouldn't think to ask that question of a guy who was about to become a dad.

You ask that nice girl behind the counter at the bagel shop whether she'll ever go to college so she can get a better job—only to learn that she's an underemployed Ph.D.

While this can happen to anyone, there's a certain group that experiences it the most by far.

The fact is that people of color deal with other people's assumptions constantly.

Research shows that other people's expectations can have a profound effect on us. They can determine our success or failure. Black women deal with this nonsense more than others. In a 2015 study, nearly half of the female Black and Latina scientists polled reported being mistaken for janitors or administrative staff.

Let's agree to fix this.

In her comic, artist Alexandra Dal portrays the simple but clear ways people of color, and mainly Black women, experience these assumptions, also known as microaggressions. Microaggressions are unfortunately common, but there's more awareness about what they are and how harmful they can be now more than ever.

The best way to combat microaggressions is to take an honest look at our own biases and unlearn the more harmful aspects that have become normal in our society.

This story originally appeared nine years ago.