There have been too many police shootings this summer that have left black men dead or injured and our nation questioning the state of race relations.
These tragedies, such as the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, have rightfully sparked a national conversation about racial bias. But too often, such conversations focus solely on people consciously acting on their prejudice. This approach is a mistake. It oversimplifies the issue by portraying any act of bias as a conscious decision, the work of someone with overtly racist beliefs.
That is not always the case.
The fact is, we live in a world filled with messages that teach and reinforce stereotypes and biases. Even if we disagree with these messages, we see them, we are aware of them and we absorb them.
And, yes, we can be affected by them.
This is why the Within Our Lifetime Network’s effort to raise awareness about implicit bias – the subconscious bias we show toward others—is so important. This network of groups, which includes the Southern Poverty Law Center, is encouraging people to take the online Implicit Association Test to uncover these hidden biases.
Taking the test, encouraging others to take it and discussing the results is the first step to better understanding our own biases and acquiring a more sophisticated understanding of those harbored by others. Organizers of the effort, which launched today, also want people to raise awareness through social media and to plan activities to fight implicit bias.
Understanding one’s own implicit biases is especially important for educators, who can have a significant impact on their students’ futures.
When the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights released school discipline data earlier this year, there was a clear racial disparity that raised the specter of implicit bias in the classroom. For example, a black student is three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than a white student. And, although black students comprise only 16 percent of all student enrollment, they represent a staggering 31 percent of students “subjected to a school-related arrest.”
Even at the preschool level, black children represent 48 percent of those suspended more than once, but are only 18 percent of preschool enrollment. The statistics for students with disabilities are just as alarming. Students with disabilities represent one-quarter of the students arrested and referred to law enforcement despite being only 12 percent of all students.
These sobering numbers should encourage all educators to examine their own implicit biases. Yes, it can be an uncomfortable task. No educator wants to believe he or she may harbor a bias against any student. But implicit bias is so deeply ingrained in our everyday lives, it’s a task worth undertaking.
Discovering these biases shouldn’t make one feel ashamed or fearful that he or she is a racist. Uncovering implicit bias and guarding against it is a responsible and necessary step for anyone dedicated to eliminating bigotry and prejudice.
It’s time to put our commitment to classrooms that respect differences to the test by taking the test.
Brooks is the director of outreach for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
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