So, what are you?
Can I touch your hair?
You should smile more.
You’re not like other Black people.
You’re so articulate.
It’s the buildup of slight, everyday microaggressions like those that take a heavy emotional — and physical — toll on people of color and women, says Dr. Teysha Bowser, an assistant professor in the Department of Professional Counseling at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
That’s why she’s on a mission to ensure her students, many of whom will become future counselors, understand just how much such comments can damage a person’s mental health.
