To date, there are limited studies that address the presence of subtle racism within domestic violence shelters (Gillum, 2009), and no one has defined these subtle forms of racism as racial microaggressions. Racial microaggressions are often unintentional, subtle, insulting communications or behaviors directed toward a racially oppressed person or group (Sue, 2010). The aim of this study was to explore the presence of racial microaggressions within domestic violence shelters, to understand how women responded to them, and to determine if women would return to shelter based on these experiences. Using a phenomenological approach, 14 Black women from three domestic violence shelters across a Midwestern state were interviewed. Results showed that twelve of the fourteen survivors in the study experienced at least one racial microaggression. Microaggressions were either environmental or non-environmental (microassaults, microinsults, or microinvalidations). Survivors generally responded non-confrontationally to their experiences, and, interestingly, few identified the experience as racist. Belief that staff were just and fair, blaming women for bad presentation, believing that certain women were undeserving clients, and internalized oppression were examined for how they may have influenced the denial of racial microaggressions. Future implications for research, policy and practice related to the research findings are discussed.
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