“Because I See What You Do”: How Microaggressions Undermine the Hope for Authenticity at Work

“I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do.” - James Baldwin

Resources abound on how to identify racial microaggressions, what to do when they happen, and how to communicate at work without adding to the overabundance of slights and insults people of color already experience chronically everyday. Despite the wealth of information available, racial microaggressions at work remain frequent and toxic. Microaggressions can push people of color out of our jobs, stymie our careers, and compromise our mental well-being. These toxic interpersonal interactions are a symptom of a deeper structural racism that damages people of color professionally and challenges our goals for inclusive and authentic work cultures.

Join Jodi-Ann Burey as she explores the structural racism underpinning experiences with racial microaggressions so we can better support individuals and institutions to effectively lead an increasingly diverse, geographically dispersed and culturally complex workforce and transform our work cultures so that everyone can truly belong.

Presenter: Jodi-Ann Burey (she/her) has a mission to disrupt "business as usual" to achieve social change. She is a speaker, writer, and equity advocate. Her work is grounded in centering the experiences of historically underrepresented communities and the systemic intersectional approaches needed to address inequities. Jodi-Ann holds a Masters in Public Health from the University of Michigan. She prides herself on being a cool auntie, a twist-out queen, cancer survivor, adventurer and reluctant dog owner. Jodi-Ann is currently working on her first book and podcast called Black Cancer, which explores the stories about women of color and healthcare.