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Historically, the child welfare system has struggled with achieving equity for all identity groups. This section includes data on disproportionality and disparities within the child welfare system and approaches to calculating disproportionality rates.

2019 Report on Disproportionality of Placements of Indian Children (PDF - 105 KB)
National Indian Child Welfare Association (2019)
Describes what disproportionality is and statistics on the overrepresentation of American Indian/Alaska Native children within the foster care system. The 15 States with the highest rates of disproportionality are listed.

Children in Foster Care by Race and Hispanic Origin in the United States
Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT Data Center (2019)
Provides the number and percentage of children categorized by race in foster care in the United States annually for 2008-2017. The tabs at the top of the webpage and the menu on the left-hand sidebar change how the data are visualized and which data are visualized.

Disproportionality Rates for Children of Color in Foster Care (Fiscal Year 2015) (PDF - 5,888 KB)
Ganasarajah, Siegel, & Sickmund (2017)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Discusses and visualizes the disproportionality rates for children of color in foster care. It displays data and compares disproportionality rates over time from all 50 States; Washington, DC; and Puerto Rico, including data found in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System and U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
Also see: Over Representation of Marginalized Communities in Child Welfare [Webinar]

Measuring Disparities in Child Welfare Systems: Five Lessons
Annie E. Casey Foundation (2017)
Explains lessons from the field in using data to create more equitable outcomes for children and youth in the child welfare system.

The Overrepresentation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Questioning, Gender Nonconforming and Transgender Youth Within the Child Welfare to Juvenile Justice Crossover Population (PDF - 332 KB)
Irvine & Canfield (2016)
Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law, 2(24)
Outlines the methodology of and findings from a national research study on crossover youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, gender nonconforming, and transgender (LGBQ/GNCT) within the child welfare to juvenile justice crossover population in comparison to youth who are not LGBQ/GNCT. The findings include an overrepresentation of youth who are LGBQ/GCNT in the crossover population being removed from their home and placed in group or foster homes.

Child Welfare Practice to Address Racial Disproportionality and Disparity

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Historically, the child welfare system has struggled with achieving equity for all identity groups. This section includes data on disproportionality and disparities within the child welfare system and approaches to calculating disproportionality rates.

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Child Welfare Practices to Address Racial Disproportionality and Disparity 

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Child Welfare Practices to Address Racial Disproportionality and Disparity 

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This section includes resources that discuss strategies for reducing and/or eliminating disproportionality and disparity within the child welfare system. It is critical for child welfare to focus on equity throughout the child welfare continuum, from prevention of abuse and neglect to adoption. Addressing racial inequity often includes strategies to influence change at the policy, program, workforce, and evaluation levels.

Child Welfare Practice to Address Racial Disproportionality and Disparity

Intersectionality in Child Welfare (PDF - 271 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2021)
Illustrates the framework of intersectionality and emphasizes the importance of social identities and how they overlap across systems of discrimination and privilege.

Promoting Racial Equity Through Workforce & Organizational Actions (PDF - 234 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2017)
Describes what racial equity is in child welfare, why we need to take action, and provides suggestions on how to get started. This infographic also has a supporting discussion guide to better reach learning objectives.

Racial Equity Toolkit: An Opportunity to Operationalize Equity (PDF - 4,567 KB)
Nelson & Brooks (2016)
Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity
Provides processes and tools to ensure that racial equity is integrated into discussions and decisions about policies, practices, programs, and budgets.
Also see: Tools and resources

Reducing Disparities Through Indigenous Social Work Education (PDF - 187 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2020)
Provides inclusive information on education that integrates indigenous knowledge into social work education to support culturally responsive child welfare.

Strategies to Reduce Racially Disparate Outcomes in Child Welfare: A National Scan (PDF - 3,277 KB)
Miller & Esenstad (2015)
Center for the Study of Social Policy, Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare
Discusses the results of a survey about effective practices for reducing disparities in child welfare.

Addressing LGBTQ disproportionality and disparities

Advancing Healthy Outcomes: Eight Ways to Promote the Health and Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Youth Involved With Child Welfare Through FFPSA (PDF - 4,649 KB)
Citrin & Martin (2019)
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Outlines eight specific strategies that can be implemented in light of the Family First Prevention Services Act to address disproportionalities and disparities for LGBTQ+ children and families in the child welfare system.

Tribal Equity Toolkit 3.0: Tribal Resolutions and Codes to Support Two Spirit and LGBTQ Justice in Indian Country (PDF - 7,762 KB)
Edmo & Ridings (Eds.) (2017)
National LGBTQ Task Force
Explains and provides examples of Tribal codes and resolutions that promote nondiscrimination of people who are Two Spirit and LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning) within various health, education, justice, and human services domains. Child welfare and adoption is specifically mentioned on pages 69-78.

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This section includes resources that discuss strategies for reducing and/or eliminating disproportionality and disparity within the child welfare system. It is critical for child welfare to focus on equity throughout the child welfare continuum, from prevention of abuse and neglect to adoption.

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Over the past four years, we grew accustomed to a regular barrage of blatant, segregationist-style racism from the White House. Donald Trump tweeted that "the Squad," four Democratic Congresswomen who are Black, Latinx, and South Asian, should "go back" to the "corrupt" countries they came from; that same year, he called Elizabeth Warren "Pocahontas," mocking her belief that she might be descended from Native American ancestors. But as outrageous as the racist comments Trump regularly spewed were, the racially unjust governmental actions his administration took and, in the case of COVID-19, didn't take, impacted millions more - especially Black and Brown people.

To begin to heal and move toward real racial justice, we must address not only the harms of the past four years, but also the harms tracing back to this country's origins. Racism has played an active role in the creation of our systems of education, health care, ownership, and employment, and virtually every other facet of life since this nation's founding.

Our history has shown us that it's not enough to take racist policies off the books if we are going to achieve true justice. Those past policies have structured our society and created deeply-rooted patterns and practices that can only be disrupted and reformed with new policies of similar strength and efficacy. In short, a systemic problem requires a systemic solution. To combat systemic racism, we must pursue systemic equality.

To join our Systemic Equality agenda to take action on racial justice, click here.

What is Systemic Racism?

A system is a collection of elements that are organized for a common purpose. Racism in America is a system that combines economic, political, and social components. That system specifically disempowers and disenfranchises Black people, while maintaining and expanding implicit and explicit advantages for white people, leading to better opportunities in jobs, education, and housing, and discrimination in the criminal legal system. For example, the country's voting systems empower white voters at the expense of voters of color, resulting in an unequal system of governance in which those communities have little voice and representation, even in policies that directly impact them.

Systemic Equality is a Systemic Solution

In the years ahead, the ACLU will pursue administrative and legislative campaigns targeting the Biden-Harris administration and Congress. We will leverage legal advocacy to dismantle systemic barriers, and will work with our affiliates to change policies nearer to the communities most harmed by these legacies. The goal is to build a nation where every person can achieve their highest potential, unhampered by structural and institutional racism.

To begin, in 2021, we believe the Biden administration and Congress should take the following crucial steps to advance systemic equality:

Voting Rights

The administration must issue an executive order creating a Justice Department lead staff position on voting rights violations in every U.S. Attorney office. We are seeing a flood of unlawful restrictions on voting across the country, and at every level of state and local government. This nationwide problem requires nationwide investigatory and enforcement resources. Even if it requires new training and approval protocols, a new voting rights enforcement program with the participation of all 93 U.S. Attorney offices is the best way to help ensure nationwide enforcement of voting rights laws. These assistant U.S. attorneys should begin by ensuring that every American in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons who is eligible to vote can vote, and monitor the Census and redistricting process to fight the dilution of voting power in communities of color.

We are also calling on Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to finally create a fair and equal national voting system, the cause for which John Lewis devoted his life.

Student Debt

Black borrowers pay more than other students for the same degrees, and graduate with an average of $7,400 more in debt than their white peers. In the years following graduation, the debt gap more than triples. Nearly half of Black borrowers will default within 12 years. In other words, for Black Americans, the American dream costs more. Last week, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, along with House Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Maxine Waters, and others, called on President Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower. We couldn't agree more. By forgiving $50,000 of student debt, President Biden can unleash pent up economic potential in Black communities, while relieving them of a burden that forestalls so many hopes and dreams. Black women in particular will benefit from this executive action, as they are proportionately the most indebted group of all Americans.

Postal Banking

In both low and high income majority-Black communities, traditional bank branches are 50 percent more likely to close than in white communities. The result is that nearly 50 percent of Black Americans are unbanked or underbanked, and many pay more than $2,000 in fees associated with subprime financial institutions. Over their lifetime, those fees can add up to as much as two years of annual income for the average Black family. The U.S. Postal Service can and should meet this crisis by providing competitive, low-cost financial services to help advance economic equality. We call on President Biden to appoint new members to the Postal Board of Governors so that the Post Office can do the work of providing essential services to every American.

Fair Housing

Across the country, millions of people are living in communities of concentrated poverty, including 26 percent of all Black children. The Biden administration should again implement the 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which required localities that receive federal funds for housing to investigate and address barriers to fair housing and patterns or practices that promote bias. In 1980, the average Black person lived in a neighborhood that was 62 percent Black and 31 percent white. By 2010, the average Black person's neighborhood was 48 percent Black and 34 percent white. Reinstating the Obama-era Fair Housing Rule will combat this ongoing segregation and set us on a path to true integration.

Congress should also pass the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, or a similar measure, to finally redress the legacy of redlining and break down the walls of segregation once and for all.

Broadband Access

To realize broadband's potential to benefit our democracy and connect us to one another, all people in the United States must have equal access and broadband must be made affordable for the most vulnerable. Yet today, 15 percent of American households with school-age children do not have subscriptions to any form of broadband, including one-quarter of Black households (an additional 23 percent of African Americans are "smartphone-only" internet users, meaning they lack traditional home broadband service but do own a smartphone, which is insufficient to attend class, do homework, or apply for a job). The Biden administration, Federal Communications Commission, and Congress must develop and implement plans to increase funding for broadband to expand universal access.

Enhanced, Refundable Child Tax Credits

The United States faces a crisis of child poverty. Seventeen percent of all American children are impoverished - a rate higher than not just peer nations like Canada and the U.K., but Mexico and Russia as well. Currently, more than 50 percent of Black and Latinx children in the U.S. do not qualify for the full benefit, compared to 23 percent of white children, and nearly one in five Black children do not receive any credit at all. To combat this crisis, President Biden and Congress should enhance the child tax credit and make it fully refundable. If we enhance the child tax credit, we can cut child poverty by 40 percent and instantly lift over 50 percent of Black children out of poverty.

Reparations

We cannot repair harms that we have not fully diagnosed. We must commit to a thorough examination of the impact of the legacy of chattel slavery on racial inequality today. In 2021, Congress must pass H.R. 40, which would establish a commission to study reparations and make recommendations for Black Americans.

The Long View

For the past century, the ACLU has fought for racial justice in legislatures and in courts, including through several landmark Supreme Court cases. While the court has not always ruled in favor of racial justice, incremental wins throughout history have helped to chip away at different forms of racism such as school segregation (Brown v. Board), racial bias in the criminal legal system ( Powell v. Alabama, i.e. the Scottsboro Boys), and marriage inequality (Loving v. Virginia). While these landmark victories initiated necessary reforms, they were only a starting point. Systemic racism continues to pervade the lives of Black people through voter suppression, lack of financial services, housing discrimination, and other areas. More than anything, doing this work has taught the ACLU that we must fight on every front in order to overcome our country's legacies of racism. That is what our Systemic Equality agenda is all about.

In the weeks ahead, we will both expand on our views of why these campaigns are crucial to systemic equality and signal the path this country must take. We will also dive into our work to build organizing, advocacy, and legal power in the South - a region with a unique history of racial oppression and violence alongside a rich history of antiracist organizing and advocacy. We are committed to four principles throughout this campaign: reconciliation, access, prosperity, and empowerment. We hope that our actions can meet our ambition to, as Dr. King said, lead this nation to live out the true meaning of its creed.

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To End Systemic Racism, Ensure Systemic Equality | ACLU

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It's not enough to take racist policies off the books. We must pursue systemic equality.

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Structural Racism as a Public Health Crisis

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Loretta J. Ross: Don't call people out -- call them in | TED

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Racism Faced by Central Oregon Black Youth

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Racism Faced by Central Oregon Black Youth

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Parents of Black students in Central Oregon are struggling to protect their kids from racial harassment at school. Some parents have decided to take their kids out of school and are looking for alternative options. We talk to one of those parents, Kenny Adams, and Marcus LeGrand, Vice-Chair and Director of Bend-La Pine School Board. We hear more about what they're facing and how they are helping kids cope.

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Note: The following transcript was created by a computer and edited by a volunteer.
Kenny Adams: Thanks for having us.

LeGrande: Thanks for having us. Dave, appreciate it so much.

Adams: Well really what we ended up having to deal with was, they were dealing with students that were just flippantly using the N-word as well as other racial slurs and one was directed at my daughter. When my daughter experienced this, she brought it up to myself and my wife as well as she did bring it up to the, she went straight to the principal. She wasn't sure exactly what to do in that instance because it was her first experience, hearing or being called that. So, we were like, okay, so yeah, let's go ahead and bring this to the faculty. And she did. And they had, what was said to her was, oh well that's not the worst thing that this kid has done and that's pretty much where it was dropped. And we had a long conversation with her and she was like, I don't want to, she's like, this is an ongoing thing. This is, it's not just me, this has happened with other students as well. And obviously nothing was being done about it. I just don't feel comfortable with this. And she went to the high school, because this happened when she was in her eighth grade year, she moved, went on to high school and it was almost worse. So we had a long conversation, we're very open with our kids and she was like, it's hard to concentrate. It's hard to actually focus. So I'm wondering if we can find an alternative, can we find an online school, this is pre-pandemic. So we did. And at the time my next oldest child was like, yeah, I'm hearing it always as well. I don't want to experience this as well. It's just, it's too distracting. I don't feel like any of the faculty or teachers are listening, we bring it up to them and it just kind of gets dropped. And we actually pulled, because we have four kids, we pulled all four kids out because we didn't want the younger, the younger ones having to deal with complaints falling on deaf ears as well. So they all went remote learning fromjump and now only one of our kids is back in the Bend-LaPine school system.

Adams: Well, for me, it was repeated trauma, because I was called the N-word for the first time at age 12. And it's something that sticks with you. It's something that you will, you'll never forget. So when she brought it up to me, it was, you have this bit of preparedness as Black parents, you have these conversations with your kids and they're aware that this is a possibility or probability, I should say. So when it was brought up to, brought up that this happened, it was, okay, well, I guess we're at that point now and there's several ranges of emotion: rage, anger sadness, because you would hope that we would have made progress from back when I was in school, but obviously we haven't made progress in certain areas because these are learned experiences, these are learned behaviors. So there is, they're learning this behavior from somewhere and our kids are the ones that are in front of these attacks. So it was very, very frustrating and angering and, but we knew we needed to make a decision incredibly fast.

Adams: Oh, unfortunately, it's expected. When you and again, you also have to remember this was pre-June 2020 when everything really kicked off after the murder of George Floyd and everyone started putting a hyper focus and hyper awareness on racial issues. Yeah, we try to, continue to try to do the work, but prior to that, but then when that happened, that's when everything, everything imploded and exploded at the same time. So do I think that it would have been handled differently after that? Possibly. But I've also continued to hear stories coming out of some of the schools as well. That's why I'm also very thankful for Marcus, for the work that he's doing in the Bend-La Pine Schools as well because it is something that needs to be, these are targeted incidents that are happening to kids of color and when you have employees or when you have faculty that will still turn a blind eye to it, it's incredibly frustrating. So, again, that was pre-June 2020, so at that time, you didn't think that there was any real support coming from the school board, there wasn't real support coming from the schools. So it's tough navigating that because you feel completely, totally isolated and alone and you have to, you have to stand up, you have to stand up for your kids, you have to stand up. And make no mistake, I mentioned, as we were pulling our kids out of the school, we made sure that we mentioned it to the school and to the school board as well, that this was an issue. And back then it didn't really seem like there was anything that was done about it, but I think that that's changing now.

LeGrande: Thank you, Dave, appreciate it. I can talk about some of the stories students have given me over the years, but Kenny's correct. It predates the pandemic. A lot of these issues were happening. We were having Town Hall meetings, with restorative justice and equity here in our town for a number of years. And the students would let us know about all these incidents that were happening within their schools. The critical piece many of the students were saying is they didn't trust the system, because if something happened, they thought it was gonna be swept under the rug or that the perpetrators of the harassment, basically, we're not, nothing was happening to them because the kids were still doing it. So when the students don't trust the system and then when someone like myself comes into a school and we want to tell you that information that lets you know we have some work to do. Here's the, here's the critical piece of it. It's not about just the stories, it's about, okay, why aren't administrations, why aren't teachers, why aren't people beginning to understand this is a harsh and heinous thing that you're doing by putting this pressure on students to have to deal with this on a daily basis. You have to look at it from that perspective. You have to look at, okay, why do we have a zero tolerance policy within our schools in terms of discipline? Why isn't it being implemented correctly? I'm not saying all teachers do this and that some teachers do step in. I'm not saying that they don't have people that can provide it, that they can confide in, but they're there. But the thing is though, it shouldn't have to fall on them. My concern is this, why is it that our students of color have to be the ones to bring this to the forefront for anyone to say anything or someone had to commit suicide or something bad happens for it to be recognized or people start pulling their kids out of schools? What is the, what is the concern? It's like Kenny said, it's a, it's a learned behavior. How do we fix the culture? We've got to be able to do the culture from inside of each school and that means you've got to figure out who's having the willingness to step up and want to handle these situations? I feel sorry, not only is my friend Kenny having his kids have to go through this.

I'm sad because these students just want to be students. They just want to go to school and be able to just amplify their voice, to be able to just get the education they deserve and they just want to be able to go to be seen. The situation I want to figure out too is, and I notice it's not all need to be weighing on the teachers or on the administrators, but the parents too, where is their, where is their justification for this? Why aren't they stepping up and being angry, and not just the students or the students of color, the people who are their friends, the people who they work with, who are their colleagues. Why aren't they stepping up and trying to help educate and be better at doing this, because we try to, if it falls on all the teachers and it falls on all the administrators and it falls on all the students of color to have to deal with this, then who's gonna be accountable, for anything?

LeGrande: So just like anything else, you have an incident report that was reported to a teacher or administrator, get the information, turn a report in and it is turned in and it comes to our district office and someone in those different areas who helps handle these reports, handles it. And they call the school administrators to be able to say, 'Hey, what are we going to be able to handle this incident? Are we gonna bring the parents in? Are we going to do restorative practices? What are we gonna do to be able to educate the students who did it? What are we gonna do for the victim? What are we gonna do to support them?' And that's what's supposed to happen. But here's the problem. It was more than 30 incidents. A lot of students don't report the incidents. You see what I mean? So the process was supposed to be that and it was supposed to be, here's what we're going to handle and then they're supposed to take the next steps to be able to have that hearing and talk to the various students and their families to be able to figure out what needs to happen. But when a student doesn't report it, we don't know. But imagine how many reports go unreported. Why are they fearful not to report them? Right? Because that's the system. The system is not trusted. So we have to figure out how we build a better system, right? How do we make sure that the students feel safe when they report and they don't feel alienated by reporting? Because remember, many of these students are a lot of times the only people of color in their classrooms. So why is the weight on them? We have to empower the students, their friends, their colleagues, the people in the schools to be able to support these students with what they need.

Adams: Well, I actually would say that for my three, for the three older kids that I have, their transition was actually fantastic, to be honest, not having that as a distraction, not having that as a constant concern, their grades went up. My kids are incredibly intelligent, but having to deal with that stress of knowing that they didn't have that support back then and then going into the online learning environment. I mean, my daughter ended up graduating early. My next two, they're on track to, oh my next oldest graduates this year, and then the other one he's in ninth grade now. My youngest is now back in the Bend-LaPine School system, I feel a bit more comfortable having them in school as well now and they're just really an in person learning type of type of personality, but really ultimately a bottom line of it though, is, and I'm going to echo something that Marcus said, it really at the end of the day, when you're, when you have these kids that are getting, that are being victimized, they shouldn't have to be the ones that are actively working for that change. This is supposed to be a learning environment. This is supposed to be something that they go in, get their education so that they can progress in their life, but now they're having to deal with these students that are doing this, and then you also have parents that think that it's no big deal. You see endless comments on social media, you see endless comments on news stories in their comments section, where you bring up something like this, when this article ran in the Bulletin, there were so many people coming and saying, oh, what people can't deal with getting called names? I got called names when I was in school, but the name calling is completely different than those types of attacks (which) were completely different. So, when my, when my kids were actually in, or with them being in the online learning environment, being able to get in and get their classes done, not have to worry about going through the hallways of having kids shoving them or shoulder blocking them, or hearing the N-word said in casual conversation or directed at them. It's a very large load off their shoulders. So...

LeGrande: It's getting better. It has to, because we have people who are not only on the board, but people are in the halls or in administrations are saying, hey, we gotta do some work, and their willingness to want to make these changes are great. Community people are stepping up too, wanting to be volunteers, and it's getting better because we're bringing not only awareness to the changes that need to be made, we're part of their, part of our board goals and they're part of our district goals and they all fall in line with one another. And that's what we're looking at. We're looking at making things more equitable. We're looking at trying to make sure that we look at how can we have more diverse curriculum, because in 2026, the state of Oregon is mandating that African American history must be in all schools, 5 through 12 and it's gonna go from K-5 eventually. So we're starting to prepare for those things and we're starting to look at policies that need to be changed. Looking at our discipline policies. We're looking at trying to make sure we continue on our own, in terms of trying to find more minority candidates to be able to get to the state standard of 10%, based on our population and based on what we have in terms of our schools. So we're looking at all those things and trying to make those, those household changes because if we don't, then these students will never get the support they need.

Adams: And I also wanted to add in, just to clarify, I do think things have gotten better, and the reason why I say that is what I'm experiencing with my youngest. My youngest has raised a couple of issues. My youngest is nine and they've mentioned a few things, not necessarily fully on the racial aspect, but when it has been raised, because they're, it's school. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. We still have bullying issues as well. And that's just, I think that's unfortunately not something that's ever going to go away. So when they brought that up, the faculty has been very good about communicating with me as a parent, has looked at it to make sure that there were no racial incidents that were involved in the bullying, so that was a breath of fresh air. So to answer your question, yeah, I think I still would recommend that their kids go in, but also what I would also say though is, I'm a big encourager of communication with your kids. So if your kids are talking about going into high school, kids and students, they have, their mindsets aren't necessarily, as for lack of better way of putting it, tainted as ours are as adults. So sometimes, I think that students look at things a little bit more clearly, when they're at that ground level. We're looking at things from a bird's eye view. As a parent, we're not in the schools on a daily basis. I mean, I know Marcus is, but me as a parent, I'm not in the school on a daily basis. I'm looking at things from what I'm hearing from my my kids, from other students, from other parents, but with my with my kids on the ground level, I want to have that communication with them to really have these really big heart to hearts of, okay, so what are you experiencing, what are you dealing with? Is there anything that needs to be brought up? So I am encouraged and I have had other parents ask me that very question, should I be concerned? And I'm like, have a conversation with your kid, that's where you need to start, you need to find out exactly what you're dealing with, find out what their what their concerns are, what, if they're having issues with specific faculty or with specific students and then address those, but I still would say that, especially with the work that the current school board is doing right now. And I think school boards across the country are dealing with a lot of attacks. The school boards are dealing with a lot of opposition to cracking that generational mold of excluding a lot of actual history. Some people call it CRT. Some people call, some people are saying that it's discrimination against white people, No, this is just general history and history is dirty, history is gross. So when we actually take the time to actually learn these things and work to change them from a foundational level, I think that it is a better place for kids. So yeah, I would encourage parents to have their kids go to the school, but also know that they need to seek out that support, like Marcus mentioned, restorative justice, reaching out to the school board, because the school board does listen, they are listening to, at least in central Oregon they are. I obviously can't speak for other school systems, but I know that they actually are listening and working to make some effective changes, to make sure that the learning environment is safe for our students.

LeGrande: Thank you for having us. Thank you.

Adams: Thank you.

Contact "Think Out Loud®"
If you'd like to comment on any of the topics in this show, or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter, send an email to thinkoutloud@opb.org, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983. The call-in phone number during the noon hour is 888-665-5865.

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Parents of Black students respond to harassment in Central Oregon

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Parents of Black students in Central Oregon are struggling to protect their kids from racial harassment at school. Some parents have decided to take their kids out of school and are looking for alternative options. We talk to one of those parents, Kenny Adams, and Marcus LeGrand, Vice-Chair and Director of Bend-La Pine School Board.

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As more and more companies set their sights on diversity and inclusion, unconscious bias is becoming a phrase that we're hearing more about in the workplace. Across industries, company leaders and decision-makers are ramping up efforts to recognize bias in their organizations' recruiting, hiring, and management practices to create a better workplace culture for all.

As individuals, being able to identify unconscious biases in ourselves and others can help us make better decisions- both professionally and personally. However, understanding unconscious bias and its many forms isn't always straightforward. In this article, we'll break down the basics of unconscious bias including:

What is unconscious bias?

Before we delve into the different types of unconscious bias, let's talk about what unconscious bias is.

Unconscious bias, often called implicit bias, occurs outside of a person's conscious awareness. These biases are ingrained stereotypes and attitudes that may actually go against the beliefs that we hold but affect our actions, decisions, and understanding of the world around us on a subconscious level. Unconscious biases can be based upon anything, including demographics like race, age, gender, sexuality, appearance, and more.

These beliefs exist deep in our minds, and oftentimes, we fail to recognize that they even exist within us. Unlike conscious, or explicit, biases, unconscious biases are not intentionally discriminatory. Over the years, scientists have concluded that our minds are wired to make assumptions and associations to help us process information faster- but that doesn't make them any less harmful to the groups of people that they affect.

Why is it important to recognize unconscious bias?

You may also be wondering- why is this important for jobseekers and employees?

While bias in the workplace is certainly something that company leaders should be aware of and take steps to curb, it's also important that employees be able to identify behaviors rooted in unconscious bias. As a current employee or future employee of any company, understanding the different types of unconscious bias can:

Help you identify when you or someone you know is a victim of bias

Give you the confidence to speak up against biased behavior that goes unchecked

Allow you to examine and correct your own unconscious biases

Help you become a more inclusive coworker and leader in your organization

Expert words of advice
By understanding and putting a name to the different types of bias, we open up the door for transparent conversation and change to occur within workplaces.

9 types of unconscious bias

Unconscious bias comes in many different forms. Here are nine types to be aware of.

1. Affinity bias

We often gravitate towards people who are like us, whether it be based on appearance, background, or beliefs. This is known as affinity bias. While it's rooted in finding belonging and seeking comfort, when we have an affinity for those who are like us, we unintentionally shut out those who are different.

Affinity bias can result in a room full of people who all look, think, or believe the same thing, leaving little room for new ideas and points of view. This can hurt the effectiveness of a business, negatively impact a team's growth, and hinder a person's individual leadership abilities.

Expert words of advice
2. Appearance bias

It can be easy to make snap judgments based upon the appearance of an individual. Some examples of appearance-based biases include:

Beauty bias: People treat those perceived as attractive or beautiful more positively.

Weight bias: People pass negative judgment based upon a person's weight.

Height bias: Taller people are more likely to be perceived as authoritative and leader-like, whereas shorter individuals- particularly men- are more likely to encounter negative height bias, according to studies.

3. Confirmation bias

We all have existing beliefs and values. Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out and interpret new information in a way that confirms what you already believe. Not only can confirmation bias be harmful to others, but it can also affect your own decision-making on the job.

Take this story for example:

A company wants to roll out a new service and the marketing team believes it will be a big hit. Part of the team is assigned the task of market research. During their research, they see several indicators that the service may not be as profitable as previously thought but choose to interpret that data as an outlier. Instead, they only include studies that confirm what the team already believes.

In this instance, the team does not take all data into consideration; instead, they seek out information that confirms what they already believe. Confirmation bias can cloud our judgment and keep us trapped in cycles of other biases.

4. Attribution bias

Attribution bias correlates people's actions to unrelated (or even untrue) characteristics. This bias causes us to make inferences about the causes of events or behaviors without necessarily considering all of the facts.

Imagine you have a coworker that is frequently late to work. Thanks to attribution bias, you may assume that they are lazy, don't care about their job, or have a poor work ethic. The reality of the situation may be that they rely on public transportation, which is unreliable in your city.

5. Gender bias

Unconscious gender bias is unintentional associations based on a person's gender, often stemming from traditions, values, social norms, or culture.

Studies show that unconscious gender bias leads to more favorable treatment of men compared to women. Even in instances where female candidates have similar skills and job experiences, men are often perceived as being more qualified and chosen for job offers or promotions. It is also evident in the gender pay gap. As of 2023, research shows that women still earn only 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. What's more, it's a statistics that hasn't changed much over the past two decades.

6. Age bias

Age bias occurs when we make judgments about individuals solely based on their age. For instance, people often associate young people with lacking experience or judgment. On the other hand, young people may equate old age with being outdated or behind-the-times.

7. Authority bias

Authority bias is the tendency to place more weight on the opinion or idea of an authority figure. Similarly, authority bias can lead people to treat people in positions of authority or power more favorably than those who don't hold high-level positions.

8. The halo effect

The halo effect is the tendency to use an overall positive impression of a person to influence other judgments of their character. Oftentimes, the halo effect begins as a first impression or when we learn a tidbit of information about a person. For example, if we perceive someone as being nice when we meet them, we may also think of them as intelligent, social, and generous- even if we have no information to base those judgments on.

9. The horn effect

The horn effect is closely related to the halo effect. But instead of making a positive initial judgment, the horn effect starts with a negative judgement. This, in turn, causes us to assess other traits of the person negatively. If a coworker is having a bad day and snaps at us, that may color our judgments of them in other ways. Instead of acknowledging that they were having an off day, we may label them as rude, unkind, and unfriendly.

The bottom line

Understanding and recognizing unconscious bias is crucial in creating a workplace that is fair, diverse, and inclusive. All types of unconscious bias can have significant impacts on hiring decisions, promotions, and employee morale.

By acknowledging these biases and actively working to mitigate their effects, we can create a more equitable workplace. It is essential to promote awareness and education around unconscious bias, encourage open and honest communication, and create opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to contribute and succeed.

Ultimately, creating a workplace that is free from unconscious bias benefits everyone, enabling us to build stronger, more productive teams that embrace and value diversity.

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Identifying 9 Types of Unconscious Bias at Work - JobSage

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Understanding the types of unconscious bias allows everyone, not just company leaders, to work towards a more inclusive workplace.

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History and Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools

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Join Autism Speaks on April 2 to Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness Day. Help spread kindness and increase autism awareness during the month of April.

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OOPS AND OUCH - A POSSIBLE TOOL FOR COMBATING RACIAL TENSION

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Using ouch and oops • You can use this as a ground rule in spaces you have authority within. • Say ouch if someone says something that hurts — provide the space to own your feelings. • Say oops and genuinely apologize for the ways your intention did not match your impact. • Follow up your apology with some research! The person you hurt might not feel like explaining why in that moment, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t find a better way to phrase things

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The 5 R's of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - by LaTonya Jackson

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R#1: Real Conversations
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