Otuyelu, F., Graham, W., & Kennedy, S. A. (2016). The death of black males: The unmasking of cultural competence and oppressive practices in a micro-aggressive environment. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 26(3-4), 430.

This conceptual article critically examines the relationship between cultural competence, oppressive practices, and micro-aggression within the field of social work and the larger community. The Council on Social Work Education requires that topics of race, power, privilege, and cultural competence be included in the graduate schools of social work it endorses. However, the impact of race, culture, class, and privilege in society and the work environment in the form of micro-aggression remains ignored within the human service field. African American males are most often the beneficiaries of services that social workers offer. In addition, they are often the recipient of these embedded messages, which are often witnessed in the form of police brutality, aggressive policing practices, and disproportionate arrest rates. This article presents some of the barriers social workers must be familiar with when addressing micro-aggression, cultural competence, and the impact of micro-aggression on oppression. Finally, recommendations for addressing micro-aggressions within the workplace and the field of social work are discussed.

Access to full article can be found here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10911359.2016.1139994?af=R&journalCode=whum20