35: Microaggression

As a youth worker I saw multiple examples of black children being treated negatively by white members of the public when going on outings. On one occasion I accompanied a group of young people to watch a dance performance at the Royal Albert Hall. There were a class of secondary students in school uniform seated behind us ( seemingly from a private school and vast majority white) and an older white couple seated next to us. The children behind us were making a reasonable amount of noise that you would expect school children to, which the older couple didn’t batter an eyelid about. The issue started when a few of our children ( who were black ) decided to switch seats and get up to use the toilet during the intermission. The older white woman who had to slightly adjust her position to let our children past said loudly in a disgruntled voice “I hope we aren’t going to have endure this all the way through” sensing the micro aggressive tone I responded loudly to my young people “ YOU all have a ticket to be here so you are as entitled to be here as anyone else”. The woman didn’t say any more, but we all knew how she felt which I believe sadly tarnished the experience for the young people.