Addressing Racial Biases

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Module Objectives:

Understand how our racial socialization informs our conscious & unconscious behaviors and the way we view ourselves and others.

Reflection Exercises:

As you go through the module, please consider taking the addressing racial biases worksheet linked below to inform where you stand on racial biases and open up dialogue on addressing racial biases:

RECI - Addressing Racial Biases Worksheet Download RECI - Addressing Racial Biases Worksheet

Reflecting on Addressing Racial Biases

Defining Narratives - What does addressing racial biases mean to you?
1. Consider specific resources (activities, articles, books, historical/contemporary events, images, infographics, personal experiences, quotes, videos, websites, etc.) to help you best articulate your consciousness (dispositions + knowledge + awareness + skills) toward addressing racial biases.
2. What key insights or lessons have you gained from these resources?
Visualizing Opportunities - How do you see yourself addressing racial biases?
1. Consider areas of opportunity you can engage personally and with your communities of influence (familial, organizational, municipal, social, etc.).
Cultivating Commitments - How can you develop your consciousness to address racial biases?
1. Consider consciousness development techniques and strategies you can engage personally and with your communities of influence.

Reflection Resources:

Suggested Viewing:

Defining Implicit Bias and Racial Anxiety (2:08)

Alexis McGill Johnson details the definitions and connections between implicit bias and racial anxiety. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Perception Institute, a national consortium of researchers, advocates, and cultural strategists turning cutting-edge mind science research on identity difference into solutions applicable to everyday individual and institutional interactions. She collaborates with social scientists on empirical research to identify the efficacy of interventions that reduce discrimination and create opportunity. She lectures and leads workshops for a wide range of public institutions and private corporations seeking to address the role of implicit bias, racial anxiety, and stereotype threat.

Racelighting: An Overview (2:12)

Dr. J. Luke Wood and Dr. Frank Harris II share a brief overview of racelighting - a pervasive form of gaslighting whereby People of Color question their own thoughts and actions due to systematically delivered racialized messages that make them second guess their own lived experiences [and realities] with racism” (Wood & Harris III, 2021, para. 4) Racial microaggressions are used as a means to racelight People of Color (a relationship further explicated in the next section). The most common messages reinforce assumptions that BIPOC are criminals, lesser than, and academically and/or cognitively inferior. When experiencing racelighting, People of Color may be led to second guess their experiences, feelings, capabilities, knowledge,
decision-making, recollections, and basic humanity. When racelit, People of Color begin questioning their own realities and whether they are indeed unintelligent, prone to maladaptive behaviors, of lesser worth, overly sensitive, or less capable than their peers. In addition, it should be noted that People of Color can also racelight one another. This is especially true when internalized messages about racism are accepted tacitly or even explicitly.

Dad with mixed-race family confronts own racial bias (2:32)

Frank Somerville and his wife are the proud parents of two girls: One adopted and one not. Recently, the newscaster had to confront his own issues with racial bias and is using his job as a way to educate others on racism.

Inside the AC360 Doll Study (Study Shows How Children View Race, Part 1) (5:27)

This clip shows part 1 of research conducted by CNN, showing how children in the United States view race.

Study Shows How Children View Race Bias (Study Shows How Children View Race, Part 2) (5:18)

This clip shows part 2 of research conducted by CNN, showing how children in the United States view race.