Did you know that even if you believe wholeheartedly that all people are equal, chances are you still have racial biases? These biases, even when we are 100% unaware of them, affect our judgments and actions. (How do we know, if were unaware of them? They can be scientifically demonstrated.) I think implicit racial bias is more dangerous than outright racism. Its much less obvious and its much more widespread. It enables us to mistreat people of minorities and deny their experiences without even realizing that were doing so. Very few people agree with the values and ideals espoused by the KKK and overtly racist individuals, but collectively we allow minorities to be treated unfairly and we find ways to blame them for it. Implicit racial bias...influences the way we see and treat others, even when were absolutely determined to be, and believe we are being, fair and objective. See comment for a link to a great article on implicit racial bias.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:46:22 +0000