Realizing Racism: Reflections on the Opening Event of the Implicit Bias Exhibit

People of all backgrounds are statistically and inherently biased against black people who we don’t know. No one wants to talk about it, but it’s an unfortunate phenomenon that needs to be addressed.

On January 23, 2017, there was an opening event to start the Implicit Bias Exhibit on campus. The event was open to the public, and it started with a presentation from Dr. Thomas Craemer. Dr. Craemer is an Associate Professor of Public Policy here at the University of Connecticut. The exhibit itself is on display on the main level of the Homer Babbidge Library at the Storrs campus from January 16 – February 28, 2017.

The purpose of the exhibit is to understand how implicit bias affects our everyday thoughts and behaviors. Dr. Craemer defined implicit bias first during his presentation as "the bias in judgment and/or behavior that results from subtle cognitive processes (e.g., implicit attitudes and implicit stereotypes) that often operate at a level below conscious awareness and without intentional control" (National Center for State Courts). He also made mention that implicit is a measurement not an attitude. This type of bias occurs at a subconscious level, and happens without our knowledge. Implicit bias is at play in our lives every day.

To learn about your personal biases, there is an online test that everyone can take called the Implicit Association Test (IAT). This test asks you to sort words and pictures of people’s faces into categories, good and bad. If you would like to take the test for yourself, use this website. After you agree to the terms and conditions, there are multiple types of tests. The one talked about at the event was the race test. The results of the test were interesting. It was found cross-culturally that the general trend of the bias was against black people who we do not already know. People of different ages, races, and religions were tested.

What does this mean for us as members of society? The results do not mean everyone is pro-white and anti-black. It means that we are more guarded against black people who we don’t already know. For those of us who aren’t black, we need to be aware of this statistic, and use it as a guide for our interactions with black people. Perhaps we should be as open to them as we are with white people, or the reverse and be as equally guarded against white people. We can’t change every single culture there is, but we can start with ourselves. The next time you meet someone for the first time, ask yourself how you felt meeting them.

Why did you feel that way? Were your first instincts correct about this person? It’s important to check in with yourself so that everyone you meet is given an equal chance to get to know you, and so that you can get to know them.

This relates to the Humanities Learning Community because we are a very diverse group. People of all backgrounds join this community, and we all need to be respectful of each other. We should also be aware of our personal biases, and not let them influence our better judgment.

There are many different types implicit bias. Bias can be for or against people of different races, abilities, genders, careers, and more. The exhibit itself is interactive, and explores all different types of biases.

Information about the exhibit regarding where and when the exhibit can be viewed is found here. Resources about what implicit bias is and studying it can be found here.