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“This Actually Happened”: An Analysis of Librarians’ Responses to a Survey about Racial Microaggressions

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Abstract

Racial microaggressions are subtle, derogatory messages conveyed to people of color. While often delivered unconsciously, these persistent and pervasive negative messages can have devastating effects on individuals and organizations. In an effort to investigate academic librarians’ experiences and observations of racial microaggressions, a survey was sent to three ACRL listservs in the spring of 2012. In a preliminary analysis of the 129 comments left by survey participants, seven themes were identified: microassaults, microinsults, microinvalidations, environmental microaggressions, uncertainty or racism not observed, being excluded or isolated, and implications for recruitment and retention.

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... Recent studies have documented the overall low morale experience of many library faculty and staff and the especially toxic environments many librarians of color face (Kendrick 2017;Alabi 2015;Brown et al. 2018). Library workplaces are frequently sites of higher than average incidences of bullying (Freedman and Vreven 2016), which, when combined with homogenous racial demographics (Chang 2013), can create oppressive or isolating environments for many librarians of color and women, as well as gender queer and/or disabled librarians (Misawa 2014;Benjes-Small et al. 2019;Krueger 2019;Pionke 2019). ...
... In terms of drawbacks, work on specific diversity-focused efforts often comes with a plethora of unintended and unwanted consequences-be it microaggressive comments, skepticism from colleagues, or fear of being (further) entrenched as the resident diversity expert (Alabi 2015). On a content level, librarians of color may experience secondary trauma from interacting with historical objects documenting traumas and abuses of marginalized people. ...
... In addition to the relationship between instructors and students, if high-ranked administrators came from underrepresented backgrounds, they tended to be marginalised or devalued by other faculty or their supervisees (Richardson Fraser, 2017); for example, an African-American dean is often not respected by his or her non-minority colleagues (Alabi, 2015). ...
... Alabi (2015); Bhattacharya (2016); ; ; DeSouza (2011); ; ; Hinchberger (2009); L. P. ; ...
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This study developed a conceptual model of hierarchical microaggression phenomena in colleges and universities in the United States. Young, Anderson, and Steward coined the term “hierarchical microaggression” in 2015, which refers to microaggression towards defenceless and less powerful stakeholders. Because the hierarchical microaggression concept shares similarities with various forms of microaggression and bullying in hierarchical structures’ power dynamics, this study reviewed literature pertaining to microaggression and bullying incidents in higher education settings. Among 187 articles located, approximately 61% (115 articles) demonstrated these phenomena. Through the lens of Bolman and Deal’s four organizational frames – structural, human resource, political, and symbolic – a synthesis of the literature identified factors that shape the phenomena’s conceptual model. The model showed that individuals who hold inferior or lower-ranked positions in colleges or universities often are victims of hierarchical microaggression; further, regardless of demographic characteristics, anyone can be either a victim or a perpetrator, while stakeholders from socially marginalised backgrounds tend to be victimised, regardless of their position. Hierarchical microaggression incidents tend to be justified in the name of supervising or mentoring (human resource frame), institutional policies (structural frame), and an institution’s tradition or culture (symbolic frame) as a result of limited resources or perpetrators’ positional power (political frame). This study articulates the unspoken realities behind such incidents, and suggests best practices and future research to prevent such incivility and cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusion on college campuses.
... One study suggests that librarians of colour often find themselves to be the targets of microaggressions in the form of invalidation and exclusion, particularly in academic libraries (Alabi, 2015). A racial microaggression is an act of subtle degradation directed towards a person of colour (Alabi, 2014;Ettarh, 2014). ...
... In fact, this demonstrates Alabi's (2015) statement regarding the way in which "the overwhelming Whiteness of librarianship can serve as an environmental microaggression, signalling to people of colour that their presence is neither wanted nor welcomed in the profession" (Alabi, 2015, p. 189). Whiteness, in this sense, refers to a set of ideological practices based on the hegemonic exclusion of people who do not fit the accepted white, middle-class standards of behaviour and appearance (Hathcock, 2015). ...
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Most people can agree that libraries are public goods, built upon ideals of egalitarianism and the democratization of information. But can we say that libraries exist without biases? LIS has been unpacking the issue of diversity for decades, particularly longstanding racial and ethnic biases, while simultaneously trying to shift the focus of diversity issues to include the full spectrum of human identity. This paper takes up the issue of racial and ethnic diversity in LIS, as two single components of the larger issue of diversity, in order to explore the dynamics of race and ethnicity amongst librarians themselves. La plupart des gens admettent que les bibliothèques sont des biens publics, construites sur les idéaux de l’égalitarisme et de la démocratisation d’information. Mais peut-on dire que les bibliothèques existent sans partialité? La science de l’information et des bibliothèques (SIB) cherche à éclairer le problème de diversité pendant des décennies, en particulier les partialités ethniques et raciales de longue date, tout en essayant de recentrer l’orientation des questions de diversité pour inclure tout l’éventail de l’identité humaine. Cette dissertation aborde la question de diversité dans les SIB, comme deux seuls composants de la question plus vaste de diversité, afin d’explorer les dynamiques de race et d’ethnie parmi des bibliothécaires eux-mêmes.
... When BIPOC library employees have a manager who refuses to acknowledge a hostile work environment-which often includes microaggressions and racist comments or actions-or how they are contributing to it, accountability can be non-existent. 19 In a qualitative study, Sojourna Cunningham, Samantha Guss, and Jennifer Stout identify three themes that emerged from the semi-structured interviews the researchers conducted with ten academic librarians who left their job before they intended to, with the overarching theme of hostile work environments being most prevalent: 1) being punished for "shining" 2) managers who either do not support their subordinates or actively try to hinder their career advancement, and 3) racism and toxic environments. 20 They note that there is a dearth of literature discussing structural issues within library management but "there is little on the explicit connection between the seeming lack of accountability in library structures and the subsequent impact of library retention." ...
Article
This article examines racism and accountability practices within academic libraries from the perspective of academic library administrators, with attention to differences between BIPOC and White academic library administrators. The quantitative data collected via an online survey show White academic library administrators are more likely to believe leadership is accountable and proactive in addressing racism within the workplace than BIPOC academic library administrators. The data reveal a need for accountability to be better defined within libraries and for academic library administrators to work together to better align on commitments toward addressing racism within the library workplace.
... Racial/Ethnic Minority Group Status Growing research has established that individuals from minority racial/ethnic groups are more likely to experience microaggressions than those from majority racial/ethnic groups. For example, a growing body of quantitative work across different industries including the healthcare and higher education sectors has confirmed that those from minority racial/ethnic groups are more likely to experience microaggressions at work than those not from minority racial/ethnic groups (Alabi, 2015a;b;Miller et al., 2023;Sudol et al., 2021;Thomas-Hawkins et al., 2022). These findings are consistent with those from quantitative research on other forms of subtle discrimination such as selective incivility, which reveal that people from racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to experience discrimination (e.g., Cortina et al., 2013;Labelle-Deraspe & Mathieu, 2024;Ozturk & Berber, 2022). ...
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This article presents a systematic review of literature on workplace racial microaggressions. Increasingly, workplaces around the world have made concerted efforts to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workforces. However, racial discrimination is a social issue that continues to be endemic to the workplace—including, yet not limited to, the prevalence of racial microaggressions. These microaggressions can, at times, be covert, and undertaken sometimes without the explicit awareness or intention of the perpetrator. Yet, the consequences of these can be very real for the person impacted (the target), which include diminished wellbeing, job satisfaction, and career progression. To capture the overall trends and themes that empirical research has examined related to workplace racial microaggressions, a systematic review of 48 scholarly peer-reviewed articles on the topic was conducted. The review highlights how racial microaggressions have been conceptualized and measured in previous work, and critically examines empirical findings to date. The systematic review reveals that more work needs to be done to advance our understanding of this field of inquiry. To address this, a future research agenda based on identified gaps in the literature is articulated which highlights opportunities for advancement of the literature. Addressing these gaps will provide actionable insights for organizations in addressing the insidious social issue of racial microaggressions in the workplace, and support scholars in the development of future work.
... There are alternative explanations for the additional variation in the likelihood of microaggression perpetration explained by ally identity over and above that which is accounted for by attitude. First, microaggressions are commonplace such that people who enact them tend to overlook how offensive these subtle slights are (Alabi, 2015;Williams, 2020). This reduced capacity to recognize bias is referred to as a blind spot (Pronin et al., 2002). ...
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Exposure to bias-motivated aggression results in adverse mental health outcomes among sexual and gender minorities. However, less is known about what influences people to engage in aggressive behaviors, especially the subtle and less blatant type. In the present study, we examined how ally identity and attitude mediate the relationship of intergroup contact with the perpetration of sexual orientation microaggression and bullying among cis–straight students (N = 1,736; Mage = 21.32 years, SD = 4.98, age range = 18–68, 78.1% assigned female at birth) in a southwestern university in the United States. Bivariate correlation analysis showed that a greater number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in one’s social network and greater frequency of interactions with them are associated with greater ally identity and lesser negative attitude toward sexual minorities. Likewise, bullying and all types of microaggressions were associated with a greater negative attitude. Except for microinvalidation, all other bias-motivated behaviors were associated with lesser ally identity. Results showed that although the direct associations of intergroup contact to bullying, assumption of pathology, and enforcement of binary gender roles were not significant after accounting for ally identity and attitude, this remained significant for microinvalidation. Microinvalidations may occur in intergroup interactions even after accounting for ally identity and attitude. Implications and future directions for research and interventions toward addressing bullying and microaggressions were discussed.
... The newest of these at the time of writing is the study by Caragher and Bryant (2023) which concentrates on employees who identify as Black and non-Black and how they perceive hiring, retaining and promoting minoritized employees. Alabi's (2015) study focuses on different types of microaggressions experienced by librarians of all ethnic/racial backgrounds. Swanson, Tanaka, and Gonzalez-Smith (2018) conducted a qualitative study to ascertain the lived experiences of academic librarians of color. ...
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Inclusion, diversity, belonging, and equity (IDBE) are tenets discussed and developed in many universities and university libraries. Although there were studies on IDBE in libraries in general, the authors of this study were particularly interested in what Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) librarians were facing or not facing regarding IDBE. We were unable to locate any known study focusing on STEMM librarians' lived experiences regarding IDBE. Thus, our study aimed to explore this area further. A survey consisting of multiple-choice, Likert and short-answer questions was sent to STEMM librarians via specific listservs. In this study, we use a grounded theory approach and analyze three of the questions in the survey. This study would particularly interest librarians who would like to ascertain the climate of IDBE and the intersection with social justice in STEMM Librarianship. Also, we provide strategies to improve the climate and provide a more inclusive, diverse, equitable and belonging environment for STEMM Librarians. Our data analysis shows that STEMM librarians who identify as People of Color encounter negative behaviors, experiences, and attitudes at a much higher rate than STEMM librarians who are white. In addition, many STEMM librarians who identify as white report white privilege awareness.
...  Microaggressions: A successful librarian is aware of what microaggressions are, holds themselves accountable, and recognizes if they or a colleague are experiencing microaggressions. A successful information organization will have a plan in place to address microaggressions to create a more inclusive environment (Alabi, 2015;Sweeney & Cooke, 2018;Wheeler, 2016)  Structural/institutional policies/racism: A successful librarian addresses and combats structural and institution racism and information organization has policies set in place that combat both structural and institutional racism to provide for more equity (Davison, 2020;Matthews, 2020;Sonnie, n.d.). ...
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Implementing intercultural skills and the development of cultural intelligence in library and information science (LIS) education is the first step toward promoting social justice, not only in the LIS field but also within the wider community. This action requires that LIS programs review and revise their course curricula, program content, and educational approaches to prepare future LIS professionals to recognize and fearlessly challenge social injustice. This study aims to demonstrate the importance of cultivating intercultural skills and emphasizes the need for including social justice in LIS education. A case is made for utilizing the revised ALA competencies in this endeavor. The study also demonstrates how an LIS program at St. John’s university incorporated social justice competency in its revised program goals and discusses its implications for making a meaningful change both in the profession and the wider community.
... Black-bodied persons will have likely been the target of anti-Black racism. 35 Audit the ways power is used within the organization and by whom. Institutional power within libraries is not divorced from the broader societal context. ...
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When millions saw footage of George Floyd’s murder by police during the COVID-19 pandemic where marginalized groups had higher death rates, increased awareness and action arose because Black people are treated differently in the United States. Many libraries subsequently created statements and committees to commit to reduce inequities in libraries; however, Black bodies are still being harmed. Therefore, this editorial details the Start and End with I concept and provides concrete steps for making change. It is time to center the voices that have been dismissed and ignored for too long. Are you willing to do what it takes?
... However, there are recurring questions about the success of such measures. Critics have focused on how professional practices have reinforced racism historically (Schlesselman-Tarango, 2016) and in contemporary librarianship (Alabi, 2015). ...
... 12 Others explore challenges faced by visible minority librarians in the workplace, including limited access to networks and support as well as less frequent leadership opportunities. 13 Studies also show that racialized or visible minority librarians often feel that they aren't accepted as equals, feel isolated and excluded, 14 and lack role models and support networks. 15 Research has documented incidents of discrimination and harassment, 16 including microaggressions, or everyday interactions that communicate negative messages about race. ...
Article
Although studies related to diversity within librarianship as a profession are increasing, few have examined librarians with disabilities-and none so far have included their voices or perspectives. This qualitative study involved interviews with ten academic librarians with disabilities in Canada. With a grounding in the social model of disability, it examines their workplace experiences and concerns and the barriers they face within the context of cultural assumptions about disability and work, finding that the major barriers encountered are lack of awareness of disability issues and negative cultural stereotypes of disability.
... Although little has been published about microaggressions in libraries, these findings can be related to those of Alabi, who outlines the existence of racial microaggressions against visible minority librarians based on racist stereotypes and assumptions (Alabi, 2015b). In particular, librarians with disabilities report that people minimize their experience of disability, which is similar to Alabi's finding of microinvalidations, or incidents where people deny or minimize peoples' lived reality. ...
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Although there has been increasing attention to diversity in librarianship, little attention has been paid to librarians with disabilities. This study uses a mixed method approach, using results from a survey and in-depth follow-up interviews, to investigate some of the characteristics of Canadian university librarians with disabilities, their job satisfaction, their perceptions of their workplace climate for diversity and accessibility, and the factors that influence their workplace perceptions. Although librarians with disabilities report a generally high level of job satisfaction, they are less satisfied with some areas related to workplace stress and job flexibility than librarians without disabilities. Librarians with disabilities also report less confidence that their workplace is inclusive, values diversity, and is understanding of disability-related issues. Factors influencing the work experience of university librarians with disabilities include a collegial environment, supportive colleagues and supervisors, job flexibility and autonomy, clear priorities and reporting structures, reasonable expectations about workload, time pressures and short deadlines, effective structures and processes to ensure accessibility, an accessible physical environment, and, most importantly, an understanding of disability and awareness of disability-related workplace issues.
... Further, scholars have not yet specified how differences in exposure to microaggressions relate to the structural position or racial attitudes of those exposed. For instance, Alabi (2015), drawing from a survey of librarians, found that both whites and People of Color witnessed, experienced, or recognized microaggressions while at work. However, the study notes, "many non-minority participants commented that they had not seen any instances of racism in their libraries. . ...
Article
The term “microaggression” has experienced a lively existence in the field of psychology since its introduction in 1970s. Sociology has recently come to study microaggressions, yet serious gaps remain in the study of microaggressions. In particular, sociological analysis has not taken into account how exposure to microaggressive interactions may affect racial attitudes, how variations in microaggressive interactions have different effects, and what racial and gender positions render one more or less likely to engage in, or fail to oppose, microaggressions. Based on a GSS-based survey and an experimental vignette design, we address the following two questions: First, how might the presence of racial microaggressions affect racial attitudes? Second, what is the power of specific types of interactional microaggression? Results indicate that both exposure to microaggressions and the type of microaggressions are correlated with changes in specific racial attitudes associated with the marginalization, problematization, and symbolic and physical repression of people of color.
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The academic library milieu is replete with verbal interactions that occur between library staff and patrons, as well as within the library staff cohort. Such communication impacts the quality and results of library support provided to students, faculty and community. It also affects workplace health and productivity. Consequently, among academic library staff, knowledge and awareness of effective language use is a crucial component of professional practice. This scoping review examines and analyzes the published literature for beneficial and detrimental verbatim exemplars of communication in the context of academic libraries. While the review found significant literature addressing categories of interpersonal communication in the academic library, few studies provide verbal exemplars. Given that such exemplars play an important role in understanding language categories, and in augmenting effective language use, this gap in the literature warrants further attention.
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***Open access version (author accepted manuscript): https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ulls_fsp/136/ ***Version of record: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/RSR-06-2019-0042/full/html ***Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce the idea of cultural humility, distinguish it from cultural competence and explore how it fits within librarianship. ***Design/methodology/approach The authors use an interdisciplinary exploration of the concept of humility to understand what cultural humility means and how it differs from cultural competence and other approaches to intercultural communication in libraries. ***Findings Despite some reservations with the term itself, the authors find that a practice of cultural humility is more appropriate to front-line interactions in library contexts than cultural competence models. ***Practical implications Libraries looking to address issues in intercultural communication and services to multicultural populations will find an approach that may be better suited to their contexts than prevailing models of cultural competency. ***Social implications Librarians need to commit to redressing the power imbalances and other structural issues that interfere with library service, for the benefit of the patrons, the library and librarians themselves. ***Originality/value While cultural humility is increasingly being used in librarianship, there has not been a systematic exploration of the concept and how it applies to library contexts.
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In this article, Tara Yosso, William Smith, Miguel Ceja, and Daniel Solórzano expand on their previous work by employing critical race theory to explore and understand incidents of racial microaggressions as experienced by Latina/o students at three selective universities. The authors explore three types of racial microaggressions-interpersonal microaggressions, racial jokes, and institutional microaggressions-and consider the effects of these racist affronts on Latina/o students. Challenging the applicability of Vincent Tinto's three stages of passage for college students, the authors explore the processes by which Latinas/os respond to racial microaggressions and confront hostile campus racial climates. The authors find that, through building community and developing critical navigation skills, Latina/o students claim empowerment from the margins.
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The present study examines the experiences of 36 Black male students, in focus group interviews, enrolled at Harvard University; Michigan State University; University of California, Berkeley; University of Illinois; and the University of Michigan. Two themes emerged: (a) anti-Black male stereotyping and marginality (or Black misandry), which caused (b) extreme hypersurveillance and control. Respondents experienced racial microaggressions in three domains: (a) campus—academic, (b) campus—social, and (c) campus—public spaces. Black males are stereotyped and placed under increased surveillance by community and local policing tactics on and off campus. Across these domains, Black males were defined as being “out of place” and “fitting the description” of illegitimate nonmembers of the campus community. Students reported psychological stress responses symptomatic of racial battle fatigue (e.g., frustration, shock, anger, disappointment, resentment, anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, and fear). There was unanimous agreement in the subjective reports that the college environment was more hostile toward African American males than other groups.
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Racial microaggressions cause considerable psychological distress among Black Americans and are manifested in nearly all interracial encounters. They set in motion energy-depleting attempts to determine whether incidents were racially motivated. Reactions can be classified into 4 major themes: healthy paranoia, sanity check, empowering and validating self, and rescuing offenders. Microaggressions result in high degrees of stress for Blacks because of denigrating messages: “You do not belong,” “You are abnormal,” “You are intellectually inferior,” “You cannot be trusted,” and “You are all the same.” Feelings of powerlessness, invisibility, forced compliance and loss of integrity, and pressure to represent one’s group are some of the consequences.
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Based on interview data from a collective case study, this article uses current notions of racial microaggressions to explore this "subtle" racism through the voices of six Latino/a students as they transition to a predominantly White university. Using critical race theory as a framework, I argue for greater understanding and increased use of the term racial microaggressions within education generally and specifically with regard to higher education. I also, however, argue for specific changes in the existing framework of racial microaggressions, contending that the term microaggression is at times misused within academia and that this misuse has potentially negative consequences. Implications for discussions of racism writ large as well as for specific changes on college campuses are discussed.
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A growing body of research demonstrates that many college environments present challenges for black professors, particularly as they face institutional and personal racism. While scholars have linked these experiences to their attrition, this qualitative study explores black professors’ larger range of responses to difficult professional environments. Twenty-eight black professors employed at two large public research universities participated in this study. Findings indicate that in addition to institutional departure, black faculty respond to personal and institutional racism though a form of psychological departure and acts of critical agency, specifically forming external networks, aiming to disprove stereotypes and engaging in service activities. Thus, institutions must be mindful of the full range of responses to the racism that black professors face, not assuming the climate is hospitable simply because faculty are not leaving the institution. Rather, campuses must improve their campus environments through ongoing strategic initiatives focused on cultural change.
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Using critical race theory as a framework, this article provides an examination of how racial and gender microaggressions affect the career paths of Chicana and Chicano scholars. This paper reports on open-ended survey and interview data of a purposive sample of six Chicana and six Chicano Ford Foundation Predoctoral, Dissertation, and Postdoctoral Minority Fellows. There are three objectives for this study: (a) to extend and apply a critical race theory to the field of education, (b) to ''recognize,'' ''document,'' and analyze racial and gender microaggressions of Chicana and Chicano scholars, and (c) to ''hear'' the voice of ''discrimination's victims'' by examining the effect of race and gender microaggressions on the lives of Chicana and Chicano scholars. Three patterns of racial and gender microaggressions were found: (a) scholars who felt out of place in the academy because of their race and or gender, (b) scholars who felt their teachers professors had lower expectations for them, and (c) scholars' accounts of subtle and not so subtle racial and gender incidents. The article ends with possible directions for continued critical race theory research with scholars of color.
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Presents the author's presidential address to the Society of Counseling Psychology, Division 17 of the American Psychological Association. The author discusses the social injustice of racism and why such a topic is relevant to counseling psychology. The following topics are discussed: (1) Three manifestations of racism; (2) Defining racism as pathology or a mental disorder is problematic; (3) Racism is more normative than we like to believe; (4) It is not the white supremacist but the ordinary citizen who perpetrates the greatest harm to people of color; (5) Racism harms white folks as well; and (6) Acknowledging our own racism is not enough. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Microaggressions and the life experience of Latina/o Americans
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Minikel-Lacocque, J. (2013). Racism, college, and the power of words: Racial microaggressions reconsidered. American Educational Research Journal, 50(3), 432-465. doi: 10.3102/0002831212468048