ORLANDO, Fla. —  Black Lives Matter protesters are calling for change after violent incidents involving law enforcement have reinvigorated a nationwide discussion about racism in America.  But one type of racism may not be as obvious in everyday life.

“There are daily slights in our workplaces where people talk over you, people don’t even see you,” former first lady Michelle Obama said in a discussion with some of her closest African-American friends in her new podcast.

What You Need To Know

  • "Microagressions" are inadvertent acts of racism

  • Michelle Obama discusses her own experiences in her new podcast

  • These moments must be discussed when recognized, FAMU professor says

  • More Justice for All 

Obama said sometimes people don’t recognize her out in public.  In some of those moments, she experiences racism, she said.  Obama talked about feeling “invisible” in an ice-cream shop while she was first lady when a woman cut in front of her in line, and Obama said she believes it was because she is Black.

“People will come up and pet my dogs but will not look me in the eye — they don’t know it’s me,” Obama said. “That is so telling how White America views people who are not like them.  We don’t exist, and when we do exist, we exist as a threat.”

VIDEO: What are Microaggressions?

Not all racism is obvious, according to Jermaine Robertson, a psychologist and interim chairman of the Department of Psychology at Florida A&M University.  He said those moments are called microaggressions.

“An unintentional, inadvertent act where the person may not have been conscious of it, so this isn’t a person who we would construe as an overt racist person,” Robertson said.  

While subtle, it’s the same racism that can lead to some of the horrific events that have played out in 2020, Robertson said.  That is why people must recognize when micro​aggressions happen and talk about it, no matter how awkward it may be, he said.

“It’s as if to talk about it is creating a problem, and in fact, not talking about creates a problem,” Robertson said. “So I think being aware which means dialogue, taking individual responsibility, knowing that you are now aware.”

Talking about it will help create change — the change many people are now demanding, Robertson said.

“You can feel some mobilization of certain kinds of individuals, and maybe some institutions, wanting to make those changes, and that’s a good thing,” Robertson said.