I never knew the fact that diversity was, in fact, not inclusion. Check out this video on the common misperception that these are the same thing from Dr. Shirley Davis, who proudly states that we can have diversity, but not always inclusion (eSpeakers, 2019).

Throughout my professional (as well as personal life), I have been the perpetrator, bystander, and victim of a microaggression. Basically, a microaggression according to Dr. Norma Day-Vines (2020) is a statement, action, or incident that comes from indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination geared towards an underrepresented group.

Day-Vines (2020) offers practical insight into microaggressions, who's involved, and what can be done by each party. She does a wonderful job explaining this in her video but I've provided a taste of what she offers by outlining the three parties involved:

1. Target: This is the person whom the microaggression is targeted towards.

2. Bystander: This is the person that witnesses the microaggression.

3. Perpetrator: This is the person who enacts the microaggression towards the target.

One of the most powerful takeaways from this video is the idea that, as a target, you have more power than the perpetrator realizes. You have the right to tell others what happened, ask the perpetrator uncomfortable questions to follow-up on their statements, and raise this concern.