In this clip, two students discuss when and how they experience interpersonal and internalized racism. One student describes an interaction in high school where another student is shocked to see that she made good grades because he thought she would’ve made bad grades. The other student describes how she internalized racism. She reflects on growing up in Nigeria and having to press or straighten her hair and being punished if her hair was “rough.” Both of their stories show the impact and subtlety of microaggressions in how they seek to belittle and control Black people.
I remember in school, back in Nigeria, we weren’t allowed to have our hair out. We had to weave it or something because if we had our hair out, it was considered rough and we would be punished.
