RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS IN LIBRARY EDUCATION

XPERIENCES OF BLACK STUDENTS IN RONDÔNIA

Abstract

This study aims to understand the presence of racial microaggressions in the lived experiences of Black students in the Library Science program at the Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), in northern Brazil. The research is grounded in Black and Anti-Racist Librarianship studies articulated with Social Psychology, focusing on the everyday forms of violence experienced by Black students. The theoretical framework is organized into two parts: first, this research conceptualizes racial microaggressions and explores their characteristics and dimensions; second, it also contextualizes ethnic-racial issues at the institution under study. The methodological approach is an applied qualitative study that uses a semi-open-ended questionnaire administered to students enrolled in the Library Science program. The results identified the presence of racial microaggressions in library education, manifested through subtle verbal and nonverbal practices that express indifference, racism, and sexism. The most frequent microaggressions in the experiences of Black students at the institution fall into the categories of microinsults and microinvalidations; these traumas, in turn, intersect with oppressions related to gender, race, and sexuality and persist throughout the educational trajectories of Black students.