Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric

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Response 3 In the fabric of social discourse, the threads of micro- and macro-aggressions are intricately woven, often overlooked or ignored, yet deeply impactful. These subtle and overt acts of discrimination creep into communication and ultimately shape cultural identity and perpetuate injustice. Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric is a moving study of these phenomena, providing insightful awareness into the ways aggression impedes effective communication and thwarts efforts to reduce inequality. It is crucial to acknowledge the intricate interplay between micro- and macro aggressions, scrutinizing their impact on communication patterns, cultural identity, and social equality. By analyzing Rankine's pioneering work, we aim to illuminate the pervasive effects of aggression in our communication and highlight the need to foster an …show more content…

As Rankine puts it, "You are in the dark, in the car, watching the black-tarred street being swallowed by speed; he tells you his dean is making him hire a person of color when there are so many great writers out there." Rankine, p. 10 (Second ed.). This quote highlights how micro- and macro-aggressions contribute to a distorted collective understanding of cultural identity, marginalizing certain groups and preventing their inclusion. Rankine's research on micro- and macro-aggressions in Citizen: An American Lyric explains how these acts of discrimination increase feelings of otherness and alienation. People marginalized by other people. By invalidating these experiences and conserving harmful stereotypes, micro- and macro-aggressions contribute to a deformed collective understanding of cultural identity, marginalized groups and deny inclusion. Micro- and macro-aggressions prevent injustice from being addressed, perpetuating systemic oppression and preventing true dialogue and

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