Introduction

Microaggressions are an accepted part of our social fabric. They are a form of discrimination, and their impact is real. They are brief, subtle, negative, invalidating, intentional, and unintentional messages directed to people based on their race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, identity, citizenship, ability, religion, etc.

It is often said in passing or casually hinted at in conversations, making them commonly accepted in society. People might unknowingly be the perpetrators of microaggressions because they are not aware. Microaggressions are often left unresolved, with the recipient not confronting the perpetrator or reporting the incident. People who are the victims of microaggressions might not even realize it until it’s too late to respond.

We propose an intervention to uncover and shed light on common microaggression experiences within the Cornell community. Our primary objective is to encourage discussion and reflection amongst the receivers, perpetrators, and bystanders in a way that could bring positive action. We aim to validate the experiences of the receivers, support them, and share their stories. We also aim to make bystanders and perpetrators aware that microaggressions are not tolerated. We hope to document all forms of incidents ranging from resolved, unresolved, and intentional, to unintentional so that people can learn and understand that not all experiences are black or white/good or bad. This documentation of experiences aims to encourage people to make improvements in our community. And we hope to also document these improvements as a way of showing the changes made in the community and the impact people made by sharing their personal stories.