Coaching Across Microaggressions: Feb-Mar 2025

Attend to impact before intention.

We’ve heard this principle before, but those five words are hard to put into practice, especially when dealing with microaggressions.* We often either don’t know why what we said or did is being called a microaggression, or we’re desperately resisting any possible inference that might lead to someone judging our behavior as racist. So how and where can we learn more?

Many of us know it is a double whammy to ask the person who is already reeling from yet another microaggression to educate us, the person who stimulated their pain, about what was wrong or why our actions constituted a microaggression. In our desire to hold care for those who are repeatedly impacted by microaggressions, we are left with several questions.

• How can we gain understanding of why our actions stimulated the pain of microaggressions?
• Who can we ask when we don’t want to ask those who are already in pain to be the source of our education?
• Where can we go to learn and practice more effective, empathetic ways of taking responsibility for our impact when we know we have stimulated this pain for others?

This five week series is your answer. Bring specific examples of racial microaggressions you’ve enacted or wondered about, and we’ll unpack them together. We will:

• Walk through an understanding of the implicit messages that make certain expressions or actions painful.
• Explore how to truly show up for the impact of our actions in ways that create the possibility for healing for those we’ve impacted.
• Practice how to respond if we were the bystander observing a microaggression.

In this series, we will focus on racial microaggressions. Racial microaggressions are widely relatable—most people have experienced, enacted, or witnessed them. While the framework applies to all types of microaggressions, focusing on racial bias allows for deeper engagement and skill-building. Even if you haven’t experienced racial microaggressions personally, you’ll gain insight into the challenges of addressing them.

So, ready to be real? Eager to deepen your critical awareness of the situations that lead to some folks experiencing microaggressions a lot of the time? Ready for the challenge of empathic but direct coaching that won’t sugar-coat or minimize the impact we’re addressing? Committed to learning a practice that values both realness and empathy?

Join us, five Thursday, starting February 20 from 4:00 – 6:00pm PT. (February 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20)

Help us plan, register by February 14th.

REGISTER NOW

“This course goes far beyond common training models–which often focus on helping people see that microaggressions exist–to supporting participants in doing the real work of making the world a place of belonging. Roxy makes this complex, challenging topic understandable and accessible by building a clear conceptual framework and creating a compassionate environment for learning. With the gentle assistance of experienced small-group facilitators, participants have opportunities for rich practice, “trying on” ways to speak and developing confidence for confronting racial micro-aggressions.”

Past CAM Participant

Notes on the intention and framing of the series

My goal in offering this space is to provide a forum for people, especially white people, who are worried about enacting or have enacted racial microaggressions to deepen their capacity to respond effectively. I’m creating a container where it is expected you’ll show up vulnerably with your lack of knowledge while maintaining a commitment to bring respect, civility, and empathy in our interactions. I expect that as folks work to share their experiences or ask questions, they’ll do so in ways that also reveal microaggressions and bias. As a result, I offer the following thoughts on the structure of the series to help you decide if this class will work for you.

• My series focus is on supporting learning and capacity building using NVC and critical awareness principles. Our priority is not empathy or healing although I fully expect we will experience both. If you’re stimulated, we may offer very brief empathy to help you return to the shared intention. If you need more extensive healing, we’ll see if someone is willing to hold empathic space with you in a breakout room while the course continues. If you need more support than is available in the group, we’ll invite you to take a break and get empathy from your community offline.
• One category of microaggressions — microassaults — describes traditional discrimination characterized by purposeful discriminatory actions such as name-calling, avoidance and biased treatment. The focus for this series is on the other two categories- micro invalidations and microinsults, both of which are more likely to be unintentional.
• We expect real talk, coupled with civility. Our intent is to fully use the power of NVC to make observations, not judgments or personal attacks. Our goal is to call you in, not call you out. Read my article on Calling in vs Calling out to have a clearer sense of what we’re striving for.
• In most of the work I lead, I intentionally seek to undo one of the consequences of patriarchy and white supremacy by re-centering the experiences of Global Majority/ BIPOC folks. In this course, I am purposely creating a space where everyone, but especially white people, can gain understanding and learn strategies for repair. I will of necessity be focusing on the experiences that participants bring, which may at times look like a centering of the experiences of white participants. That said, of course Global Majority/ BIPOC folks can also enact racial microaggressions and will benefit from the course. If you are a Global Majority/ BIPOC person who wishes to join with an intention of supporting the learning of white people attending the class as well as deepening your own learning, I gratefully welcome you.

“This was hands down the most powerful microaggressions training I have participated in! Roxy Manning and her team understand how to hold all people in dignity, center BIPoC perspectives, and create space for everyone to step into responsibility for building beloved community. At the same time, they model deep consent and accountability.”

Past CAM Participant

Sliding Scale Tuition Options:

We are offering 5 tuition options: 

• $500 – Support those with fewer resources to attend: If you have financial assets, or identify as middle or upper/owning class, then this is the rate for you. Paying at this rate supports the discount and scholarship fund, making this course accessible to more people.
• $400 – Support Roxy’s Sustainability: If you are able to contribute at this level, you contribute to more spaciousness for Roxy to continue to develop and expand her ideas and work –  activities that are not paid through classes or workshops.
• $350 – Requested Standard Contribution: This is the true cost of the course. If you are able to pay this amount and still meet your basic needs, then this is the price for you to choose.
• $300 – Discounted Rate: The Discounted option is reserved for those who sometimes struggle with limited financial resources and would benefit from supported access to this learning experience.
• $250 – Scholarship Rate: The Scholarship option is reserved for people experiencing financial hardship. Note: If you would like to apply for an additional scholarship, please fill out the scholarship form here: https://bit.ly/CARMScholarshipAPP

REGISTER NOW

Frequently Asked Questions about the Microaggressions Course

1. What is the format of the class? Will I just be listening to a lecture?

No, this class is highly interactive and practice-based. Instead of a lecture, you’ll engage in discussions, small-group exercises, and real-life reflections—whether you’ve enacted, witnessed, or experienced microaggressions. The goal is hands-on learning through real-world examples.

Small breakout groups are supported by facilitators who offer live coaching and feedback.

2. Why is the focus specifically on racial microaggressions?

Racial microaggressions are widely relatable—most people have experienced, enacted, or witnessed them. While the framework applies to all types of microaggressions, focusing on racial bias allows for deeper engagement and skill-building. Even if you haven’t experienced racial microaggressions personally, you’ll gain insight into the challenges of addressing them.

3. How is the class structured?

The course follows a five-week progression:

• Week 1: Foundations—introducing the approach and key concepts from Nonviolent Communication.
• Week 2: Understanding microaggressions—building shared language and awareness.
• Weeks 3-5: Response strategies—practicing how to respond as the target, as the person who enacted one, and as a bystander.

4. How does the course support Global Majority participants?

We acknowledge the unique challenges encountered by Global Majority (GM) people when engaging in this type of work in spaces that tend to be white dominant. These can include being asked to educate white participants about racism, discrimination, and social justice issues, being seen and treated as representatives of their entire race or ethnicity rather than being seen as individuals, and experiencing microaggressions such as having their opinions or experiences dismissed or minimized.

This class is open to all. Given that skills practice in breakout groups is a major component of this course, we want GM participants to have choice about their group make-up when practicing this work given the unique challenges we describe above. GM participants can choose to be in a GM-only discussion group or a mixed group each session. This ensures a supportive environment while still encouraging personal growth and learning at each person’s edges.

5. Who is this course for?

This course is for anyone—whether you’ve experienced microaggressions, enacted them, or want to be a better ally. Past participants have ranged from those new to the term “microaggression” to DEI professionals. Some Global Majority participants initially preferred GM-only groups but later chose mixed groups to stretch their learning. People take the course at different stages of their journey, and each experience offers new insights.

The course increased my understanding by bringing clarity to concepts that are often discussed without precision (if they are discussed at all). That has increased my self-understanding and allowed me to enhance my connections with others as I’ve shared what I learned. The course also increased my wellbeing as it both gives me a sense of agency in being able to act more in line with my values, and reassures me to know that there are people all over the world working toward a collective vision of care for all.

Past CAM Participant

* Not sure what I mean by microaggressions?

• Read some of my articles on this website that discuss a few microaggressions.
  • Don’t Call Me White!
  • Where are you from?
  • You’re so articulate.
• Read my article, Calling In, Calling Out, to understand one essential principle we will be using.
• Watch this painfully humorous two minute video.

About Roxy Manning:

Clinical psychologist, certified trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication, and co-host of the podcast Fierce Compassion. As a Black Caribbean immigrant to the US, Roxy Manning brings a unique, intersectional lens to her organizational work, focusing on transforming communication to foster justice and equity. Author of How to Have Antiracist Conversations and coauthor of The Antiracist Heart, her writing provides practical tools for antiracist dialogue and building compassionate communities. Dr. Manning lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, inspiring change internationally through her teachings and writings. Learn more about Roxy here.