Blindspot

I have long held that all of us are racist to some degree. The key is what we do with it. Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald explore this very topic in their text Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People. They start by exploring the idea that we all have blind spots- areas where our unconscious mind takes over.  These are present in an actual sense in our vision, but they also occur in our thinking. Our blind spots probably developed as a survival skill allowing us to identify members of our group and those of other groups who might endanger us. They are responsible for our innate skills in classifying things for better understanding. After all, it is important to identify the difference between the lion cub that might result in getting us mauled and the domesticated cat that will limit the number of rodents in our space.

They offer a series of implicit association tests (IATs) which are available online at their Harvard website. These can be used to explore biases around a variety of human characteristics such as race, age and disability status. What they have discovered is that these biases exist, are often based on cultural norms rather than membership in a particular group (blacks can be biased against blacks), and are difficult to shift. So what can you do? You don't want to behave in a biased manner, yet you unconsciously do so.

They suggest being aware of the bias is the first step. Then exposure to anti-bias messages can help make the bias more conscious and thus more readily countered. For example, many people believe that women are not as good at math as men. Exposure to women who are highly capable in math can help counter the unconscious idea. Movies and books like Hidden Figures, Math Equals: Biographies of Women Mathematicians, Women Who Count: Honoring African American Women Mathematicians, The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague (Amazing Scientists),             

Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics

, and             

Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain

 highlight women mathematicians. Female math teachers and professors showcase people who succeed in fields dominated by men. Many of these books are either picture books or anthologies that could be easily used in a classroom to help develop awareness in children.

We all have hidden biases. Institutional racism is a current area showcased with the Black Lives Matter Movement. If we can become aware of our biases, we can overcome them. Dr. Seuss's book Horton Hears a Who says it well- "People are people, no matter how small." His message about biases still rings true today. We can overcome our biases, if we make the attempt.