Black kids, on average, experience their first microaggression by age 6, said Kniffley. Kniffley, who studies race-based trauma, says they’ll be exposed to microaggression multiple times a day as they grow up, which can look like exclusion from groups or being made fun of for their physical appearance like skin color or hair texture. An 18-year-old in Texas made national headlines after being suspended because his locs violated the school district’s dress code.
“It’s all leading to us hating ourselves and killing ourselves as part of the process,” he said. Kniffley worries about Black suicide rates. For Black boys, the stress is often around masculinity and messages that teach them to shrink themselves in order to avoid discrimination, like hunching over, talking softly to make others more comfortable, and navigating interactions with police officers.
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