How colorist microaggressions have eluded social work: A literature review

ABSTRACT The social work profession has thoroughly engaged the concepts of racism and discrimination throughout history and now explores the growing concept of racial microaggressions in understanding the life experiences of minority communities. Even the burgeoning study of microaggressions, however, overlooks the impact of colorism as a microaggression. Through a literature review, the authors evaluate current literature viewing colorism through the framework of microaggressions and discuss the effects of colorist microaggressions on minority populations. The authors also offer an analysis of where the field of social work stands in addressing colorism and colorist microaggressions in education, practice, and scholarship. The final ten sources included in the study offer specific implications for social work research, education, and practice.