This conceptual paper explores racial microaggressions and their effects on African American and Hispanic students in urban schools. Microaggressions are pervasive in our society (Sue et al., 2007), and although often manifested in subtle ways, can be detrimental for their long-term effects on students' psychological, socialemotional, and intellectual development. Our analysis utilizes extant literature to explore racial "microaggressions" on a "macro" level in terms of district/school level microaggressions and teacher level microaggressions. A discussion ensues concerning the effects of racial microaggressions on African American and Hispanic students. Furthermore, we advocate for a culturally affirming education to empower and engage educational stakeholders in the processes of developing cultural competency within our urban schools and communities.