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Before touching a black person’s hair, ask yourself: Am I being racist?

Dr. Jonathan Kanter, associate psychology professor at the University of Washington
KUOW/Megan Farmer
Dr. Jonathan Kanter, associate psychology professor at the University of Washington

Racism takes many forms — it could be a white supremacist rally or a racial slur — but more subtle forms, called microaggressions, happen every day.

Dr. Jonathan Kanter wanted to learn more about microaggressions from a white person's point of view. The associate psychology professor and his research team at the University of Washington found that people who are more likely to make subtle racist statements are also more racist in other ways.

He told KUOW's Emily Fox that the researchers began by asking black students what they thought were microaggressive behavior.