Educational researchers have widely used the term “racial microaggressions” as a theoretical framework for examining everyday and subtle forms of discrimination predicated against people of color. However, there are historical and contemporary differences in how Black people experience schools and other social institutions that a racial microaggressions lens does not fully embrace. Using a new frame termed “antiblack aggressions,” I discuss the history and damage of using racial microaggressions to examine the experiences of Black students. Furthermore, this piece calls for a paradigm shift that aligns with the original conceptualization of the term “microaggressions,” re-centers the Black experience, and fosters Black epistemological futures in educational research.
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