From an ALA Think Tank Thread on Racism

“I’m not a racist. Of that I’m absolutely certain. I admit to being something of a classist. I find that frequently people mistake the latter for the former when they happen to be of a different race. I’m not dismissive of you because your skin is a different color than mine, I’m dismissive of you because I don’t have the time for your willfully ignorant, deliberately adrasive, wannabe thug bullshit. Treat me with the dignity and respect that my humanity commands and I’m sure to return the favor. Demand "respect, yo” with a chip on your shoulder and I just see it as an invitation for me to take a swing at knocking it off.“

9/25

n00b librarians know stuff too

I worked in reference while I was a librarian resident at a university library. One of my colleagues always undermined my reference abilities and came to the desk saying, “You probably don’t know this but…” or “I need help looking up a book in the catalog. Is [some other librarian] available?” (Okay not really looking up a book but really basic reference.)

This particular librarian never seemed to respect me as a colleague and fellow librarian, in more ways than just these reference interactions. Made me feel like crap.

9/16

Recently at a conference I was asked, “Why are the elite blacks pursuing law and medicine and not librarianship?" 

9/11

What does gender have to do with it?

I was working at the ref desk which we share with our tech help students who handle printer problems. A guy walks up to me and asks me to fix a printer problem, I referred him to the tech students. He then said to me and the other female student “Leave the tech stuff to the guys right?" 

9/10
I really want to be a Spectrum mentor, but I don’t “primarily” identify with one race/ethnicity check box over the other. Choosing sides and quantifying my Latina-ness or Asian-ness has been a nightmare my entire life. The mixed race follow-up...

I really want to be a Spectrum mentor, but I don’t “primarily” identify with one race/ethnicity check box over the other. Choosing sides and quantifying my Latina-ness or Asian-ness has been a nightmare my entire life. The mixed race follow-up question is appreciated, but why must mixed race individuals constantly be subjected to picking sides? I don’t want to deny any part of my identity.

8/15

“If you weren’t wearing a suit I would have thought you were a student”= greeting given by potential supervisor to the interview candidate for a mid-level management position (who subsequently declined the offer). 

8/5

Shrouded judges in academic evaluation procedures need some sunlight

I really don’t think what happened to me is a microaggression because it’s too huge. Despite evidence to the contrary, I have been deemed incompetent to fulfill my job despite me leading outreach efforts the successfully resulted in additional grant funds for the university, visibility for the library, and continuing collaborative efforts to improve programs and services to students with special needs. The people who have laid this verdict on me neither knew me personally or even bothered to do so. But they have had a tremendous impact on me, my career, and my family. Yet they are protected by policies of anonymity and face no sanctions of any kind. Such is the politics of the academy. I will never again defend academia as a bastion of progressive social politics. 

7/14
A prof was mad because I did not disclose my mental disability. She told me I should be officially on disability. Shared microaggression from the LIS Microaggressions poster session at the Diversity & Outreach Fair at ALA Annual 2014.

A prof was mad because I did not disclose my mental disability. She told me I should be officially on disability.

Shared microaggression from the LIS Microaggressions poster session at the Diversity & Outreach Fair at ALA Annual 2014.

7/14