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In reviewing the literature on subtle and contemporary forms of bias, the term “microaggressions” seems to best describe the phenomenon in its everyday occurrence. Simply stated, microaggressions are brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership (e.g., people of color, women, or LGBTQ persons). See ssss1 for the origin of the term “microaggressions” and a more comprehensive definition.

In the world of business, the term “microinequities” is used to describe the pattern of being overlooked, disrespected, and devalued because of one's race or gender (Hinton, 2004). Similar to microaggressions, microinequities are often delivered unconsciously as subtle snubs or dismissive looks, gestures, and tones (Rowe, 1990). These exchanges are so pervasive and automatic in daily conversations and interactions that they are often dismissed and glossed over as being innocent and innocuous. Yet, as indicated previously, microaggressions are detrimental to persons of color and members of other marginalized groups because they impair performance in a multitude of settings by sapping the psychic and spiritual energy of recipients and by creating inequities (D. W. Sue, Capodilupo, et al., 2007).

The mechanisms by which microaggressions can be delivered may be verbal, nonverbal, or environmental. In contrast to microaggressions, which reside in an indivdual’s biased worldview within a macro‐context of power and oppression, macroaggressions reside in institutional or societal policies and practices. To extend our earlier thinking, we introduce the term “environmental macroaggression” to refer to the numerous demeaning and threatening social, educational, political, or economic cues that are communicated individually, institutionally, or societally to marginalized groups. Environmental macroaggressions may be delivered visually (Pierce, Carew, Pierce‐Gonzalez, & Willis, 1978) and may derive from racial color‐blindness (Purdie‐Vaughns, Steele, Davies, Ditlmann, & Crosby, 2008; Stevens, Plaut, & Sanches‐Burks, 2008). When people refer to the “campus climate” as hostile and invalidating, or when employees of color refer to a threatening work environment, they are probably alluding to the existence of environmental macroaggressions (Solórzano, Ceja, & Yasso, 2000). It is important to note that these cues do not necessarily involve interpersonal interactions and may be equally disturbing and more harmful than interpersonal microaggressions.