2. Focus Question #1
What actions might teachers take to reduce prejudice
in their students?
3. Intent vs Impact, Micro-Aggressions, Stereotypes, &
Implicit Bias
Objectives of this Lesson:
oTo distinguish between intent and impact
oTo recognize micro-aggressions
oTo understand how stereotypes inform our implicit biases and how implicit bias
impacts our interactions
oTo realize how this information can inform our actions and reduce prejudice
4. I. Our Words: Intent vs. Impact
“Have you ever been hurt by something someone said or did and when that person
finds out they’ve hurt you, their response is ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you?’”
Read the handout Intent vs Impact from Dr. Maura Cullen’s book, 35 Dumb Things
Well-Intended People Say [see text below]
While reading, focus on key ideas and key details regarding intent versus impact.
5. INTENT VS IMPACT: From 35 Dumb Things Well-Intended
People Say by Dr. Maura Cullen
Even well-intended people cause harm. As such, people will
often make statements which they intend or perceive to be
supportive or complimentary yet end up becoming problematic.
Often these statements are made when we are experiencing
some discomfort, or when we are trying very hard to let the
other person know that we are a “good” person who “gets it.”
Meant as joining statements, these remarks often have the
opposite effect and end up creating a larger divide, and at times
even angering the other person. Unfortunately, many of us are
not aware that we have done anything harmful.
The sooner we are able to understand the impact our
words or actions have on others, the sooner we will transform
the quality of our interactions. The worst possible way to react
when we have caused harm is to become defensive or
dismissive. Accepting responsibility for our mistakes is essential
in building positive connection.
6. INTENT VS IMPACT p. 2
One familiar way this concept shows up is when someone tells
a joke or uses a particular word that the other person takes offense
to. Many of us become defensive and even upset that the other
person appears to be taking the joke personally when we did not
mean anything by it. We even take it one step further and say or
think, “It was only a joke, lighten up!” This action ends up only
upsetting the other person even more.
The first step in being willing to accept responsibility is to
understand that even well-intended people can cause harm.
This concept is the cornerstone to initiating and sustaining
successful and meaningful conversations. Just because we do not
intend or mean to hurt someone with our words, does not mean it
still doesn’t do just that. Apologizing is a critical action step to take,
it may lessen the hurt, but it still cannot take away the impact. Once
a comment or action is put out there, it is impossible to reverse the
process.
7. INTENT VS IMPACT p. 3
By accepting responsibility for our actions, or at times lack of
action, the healing process will begin much sooner.
Let’s look at an example of Intent vs. Impact as it relates to
race.
Perhaps the most common dumb statement well-intended
white people say is, “Some of my best friends are Black, Latina,
Asian, etc.…” The intention of the white person is to let the
person of color know that they have some experience with
people of a different race. With this experience is the assumption
that they know what it is like to be a member of that group that
we fully understand the challenges and issues that people of
color face. However, good intentions do not always translate
into good outcomes.
8. INTENT VS IMPACT p. 4
The impact it may have on the person of color can be very
frustrating. As hard as a white person may try to understand
what it is like to be a person of color in this society, it is
impossible to fully grasp the depth that race has on our society.
For the person of color, hearing the statement may be
experienced as, “Since some of my best friends are…then there
is no way I can be racist.”
One way that white people try to avoid the negative label of
being racist is to focus on our intention. We think as long as we
did not intend to cause harm, then we should be afforded the
benefit of the doubt and forgiven. People of color, on the other
hand, tend to focus on the impact it has on them. It is very
difficult to give people the benefit of the doubt when they refuse
to accept responsibility for their actions. The following example
is an illustration of this concept.
9. INTENT VS IMPACT p. 5
If you were driving a car and took your eyes off the road for
a moment (not hard to imagine in a world of cell phones and
multi-tasking) and ran someone over, chances are you would say
that you didn’t intend to run them over, but rather you took your
eyes off the road for a moment. You may even go so far as to try
to blame the person who was hit, saying, “Where did you come
from? You ran out of nowhere!” On the other hand, the person
who was hit and is now under your car is most likely focusing on
the impact of your careless behavior, which has ended with them
being transported to the hospital.
10. INTENT VS IMPACT p. 6
As the person who was careless, there are several ways
you could respond to this incident. One option is to blame the
victim by suggesting that it was somehow their fault because
they were not paying attention or being careful enough. Or
you may try to shift the focus by saying that you did not
intend to hurt them – that this was all a terrible accident.
Yes, accidents do happen. However, most accidents
occur because someone is being careless. Lastly, you could
choose the option which takes responsibility for your
carelessness, pick up the pieces and try to makes things as
right as possible. (Cullen, 2008, pp. 17-20)
11. I. Our Words: Intent vs. Impact
Contemplate what you learned about intent vs impact.
Why is this important information to know?
Think about a few examples of intent vs impact that you have experienced or observed.
How might teachers use intent vs impact to reduce prejudice in their students?
How might teachers use intent vs impact to develop a community of learners?
12. II. Microaggressions
What are microaggressions?
Columbia University professor Derald Sue describes microaggressions as:
"brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities,
whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or
negative racial slights and insults toward people of color" (Nigatu, 2020).
13. II. Microaggressions
So what does a microaggression look like on a daily basis?
To learn about daily microaggressions college students of color face each day,
photographer Nigatu at Fordham University asked her peers to write down the
microaggressions they have encountered.
Let’s review the photo-article, 21 Microaggressions You Hear on a Daily Basis.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/racial-microagressions-you-hear-on-a-daily-
basis#.bomojaN7q
14. II. Microaggressions
Contemplate what you learned about microaggressions from the photo-article.
Why is this important information to know?
Think about a few examples of microaggressions that you have said,
experienced, or observed.
How does an understanding of microaggressions help teachers to develop a
community of learners?
How does an understanding of microaggressions help teachers to reduce
prejudice in their students?
15. III. Stereotypes
What are stereotypes?
The definition of stereotype:
an exaggerated belief, image or distorted truth about a group or person—
a generalization that allows for little or no individual differences or social
variation.
Stereotypes are based on images in mass media or reputations passed on by
parents, peers, and other members of society.
Stereotypes can be positive or negative, but they are always harmful.
16. III. Stereotypes
Stereotypes are untrue, offensive, and hurtful.
These ideas exist in the world and in our heads even if we do not want them to.
Stereotypes can cause deep harm even if nobody actively intends that harm.
In order to expose stereotypes and to explore how they shape our interactions
with others despite our best intentions, we first have to acknowledge their
existence.
Our question as a community of educators is, how do we challenge these
false assumptions?
17. III. Stereotypes
Think of one stereotype you have been taught, told, or believe about each of the
following groups of people.
• African American/Black
• Asian/Pacific Islander
• European American/White
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Jewish
• Middle Eastern/Arab
• Native American
Where did these stereotypes come from?
18. III. Stereotypes
Stereotypes are sometimes expressed in:
• jokes
• slurs
• images
• actions such as blatant discrimination or even violent hate crimes.
These overt and explicit kinds of racism are widely frowned upon and are
unacceptable.
Most people would say they consciously reject racist attitudes and behavior.
19. III. Stereotypes
Stereotypes, however, can influence our attitudes and behavior in ways in which
we are unconscious.
This is the idea of implicit bias:
stereotypes or biases against groups of people that may be in our heads even
though we do not want them to be.
20. IV. Implicit Bias
Following is a detailed definition and description of implicit bias from the Kirwan
Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity:
“Also known as implicit social cognition, implicit bias refers to the attitudes or
stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious
manner. These biases, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments,
are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control.
Residing deep in the subconscious, these biases are different from known biases that
individuals may choose to conceal for the purposes of social and/or political
correctness. Rather, implicit biases are not accessible through introspection.”
21. IV. Implicit Bias
“The implicit associations we harbor in our subconscious cause us to have feelings and
attitudes about other people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, age, and
appearance. These associations develop over the course of a lifetime beginning at a
very early age through exposure to direct and indirect messages. In addition to early life
experiences, the media and news programming are often-cited origins of implicit
associations” (Kirwan Institute, 2015).
22. IV. Implicit Bias
Read the short article in the link below: 14 words that carry a coded meaning for
Black people (Griffin, 2020).
https://www.buzzfeed.com/tamerragriffin/loaded-words-coded-meanings-black-people#.gbZVXnvx4
•Are these microaggressions?
•Implicit bias or stereotypes?
•Are there any surprises in this list?
•Which ones have you heard or said yourself?
23. IV. Implicit Bias
Consider the following scenarios.
Could the following daily interactions be influenced by implicit bias?
A doctor does not ask his Latinx patient if she has any questions.
A teacher assigns her only Asian student to tutor other students.
An employer places the resumes of applicants with Arabic-sounding names at
the bottom of the stack.
A woman clutches her purse when a black man enters the elevator.
24. IV. Implicit Bias
Ponder the following questions:
What is/are the implicit bias(es) at work in these scenarios?
Would most people consider the interactions in these scenarios as racist?
Is it possible that the doctor, teacher, employer, and woman on the elevator are
unaware of their biases?
Do you think we all have implicit biases?
What are some implicit biases you and/or your colleagues might hold?
How could this impact your conversations about race? Equity?
25. IV. Implicit Bias
Read: 11 Things White People need to Realize about Race by Emma Gray and
Jessica Samakow.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/11-things-white-people-need-to-realize-
about-race_us_55b0009be4b07af29d576702
Pick two statements that are new concepts for you and ruminate about them.
Gray & Samakow’s underlying premise is this: If you want to be an ally, you
must educate yourself.
As educators, how can we continue to educate ourselves to be an ally?
26. Focus Question #1
Let’s revisit our focus question #1 of Week 6:
What actions might teachers take to reduce prejudice in their students?
How might teachers use intent vs impact to reduce prejudice in their students?
How does an understanding of microaggressions help teachers to develop a
community of learners?
How does an understanding of microaggressions help teachers to reduce prejudice in
their students?
How does an understanding of implicit bias help teachers to develop a community of
learners?
How does an understanding of implicit bias help teachers to reduce prejudice in their
students?
27. Connections to course assignments…
As one of the core assignments for this course, LTC 660, you have been asked to track
your biases for 3 weeks.
You will analyze your recorded list for patterns of origins of thought—meaning, where
do you biases come from?
You will write a reflective journal entry over this exercise and outline an action plan to
remove your biases.
Pull information from this lesson over intent vs impact, microaggressions,
stereotypes, and implicit bias to help you analyze, reflect, and write your plan.
Use the information you learned from this lesson to help guide your bias journal
paper & formulate an action plan.
28. Resources
Cullen, M. (2008). 35 Dumb Things Well-Intended People Say: Surprising things we say that
widen the diversity gap. Morgan James Publishing. [pp 17-20]
Gray, E. & Samakow, J. (2015, July). 11 Things White People need to Realize about Race.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/11-things-white-people-need-to-realize-about-
race_n_55b0009be4b07af29d576702
Griffin, T. (2020, Aug). 14 Words That Carry A Coded Meaning For Black People.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/tamerragriffin/loaded-words-coded-meanings-black-
people#.gbZVXnvx4
Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. (2015). Defining Implicit Bias. The Ohio State
University. http://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/research/understanding-implicit-bias/
Nigatu, H. (2020, Aug). 21 Racial Microaggressions You Hear On A Daily Basis.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/racial-microagressions-you-hear-on-a-daily-
basis#.bomojaN7q
