Mission Statement: SWUR is a committee of the Maryland Chapter of NASW founded in 2015 in response to Freddie Gray's death and the subsequent Baltimore Uprising. We are social workers in Maryland devoted to racial justice. We are committed to the examination and education about how racism impacts ourselves, our profession, our clients, and society. Our goal is to use these learnings to enact change in our communities and to eliminate racism in our world. 

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Addressing Implicit Bias, Structural Racism, Microaggressions, and Macroaggressions Facing Black Social Workers

Presenter: Karessa Proctor, BSW, MSW

Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Time: 12:00-1:00 PM ET
 

Workshop Description: This interactive 1-hour training explores the intersection of microaggressions, implicit bias, and structural racism as experienced by Black social workers across practice settings. Participants will examine how everyday interactions are often subtle and unintentional, reflecting broader systems of inequity embedded within social work institutions and professional culture.

Grounded in anti-oppressive and trauma-informed frameworks, this session integrates current research and practice-informed strategies to help participants recognize, interrupt, and respond to microaggressions at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. Emphasis will be placed on linking interpersonal bias to structural racism, ensuring alignment with new licensure requirements. Participants will leave with actionable tools to promote accountability, equity, and culturally responsive practice within their professional roles.

Learning Objectives

1. Define and differentiate microaggressions, implicit bias, and structural racism, and explain how they manifest in social work practice environments.

2. Analyze the impact of microaggressions on Black social workers’ well-being, professional advancement, and client outcomes using an anti-oppressive lens.

3. Identify and critically reflect on their own implicit biases and how these biases may contribute to perpetuating structural inequities in workplace interactions and decision-making.

4. Apply at least two strategies to interrupt microaggressions and address structural racism within their organizations, consistent with ethical and anti-oppressive social work practice.

CEUs: 1 Category 1 in Implicit Bias and/or Structural Racism

Note: This training meets one-time licensure requirements for Implicit Bias and the 2026 Structural Racism requirement and is designed as a live, interactive Category 1 continuing education experience aligned with Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice standards.

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