Racial microaggressions are subtle and often inadvertent messages sent to people of color by "well-intentioned" white people that are unaware of the hidden meanings sent to them. Basically, unconsciously acting with bias.

Microaggressions (e.g., a higher tendency to interrupt people of color who are speaking, ignoring input from people of color, or displaying cold or hostile nonverbal behaviors) manifest racism directly—so much so that some scholars and practitioners have begun using the term racial harassment, in place of microaggression, to convey the seriousness of their impact.