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https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/11/9/16627900/ta-nehisi-coates-n-word

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It's a question that comes up again and again in discussions of race: Why can't white people use the n-word, even as many black people use it, particularly in rap songs and other media?

Ta-Nehisi Coates, a writer at the Atlantic and author of We Were Eight Years in Power, has perhaps the best explanation I have ever heard on the topic, given during an event last month at Evanston Township High School in Illinois.

Coates first pointed out that it is normal in our culture for some people or groups to use certain words that others can't. For example, his wife calls him "honey"; it would not be acceptable, he said, for strange women to do the same. Similarly, his dad was known by his family back home as Billy - but it would be awkward for Coates to try to use that nickname for his father.

"That's because the relationship between myself and my dad is not the same as the relationship between my dad and his mother and his sisters who he grew up with," Coates said. "We understand that."

The same concept applies to different groups and their words. "My wife, with her girl friend, will use the word 'bitch,'" Coates said. "I do not join in. You know what I'm saying? I don't do that. I don't do that. And perhaps more importantly, I don't have a desire to do it."

Coates pointed to another example - of a white friend who used to have a cabin in upstate New York that he called "the white trash cabin." "I would never refer to that cabin" in that way, Coates said. "I would never tell him, 'I'm coming to your white trash cabin.'"

Coates added, "The question one must ask is why so many white people have difficulty extending things that are basic laws of how human beings interact to black people."

He gave a potential answer: "When you're white in this country, you're taught that everything belongs to you. You think you have a right to everything. ... You're conditioned this way. It's not because your hair is a texture or your skin is light. It's the fact that the laws and the culture tell you this. You have a right to go where you want to go, do what you want to do, be however - and people just got to accommodate themselves to you."

"So here comes this word that you feel like you invented," Coates said. "And now somebody will tell you how to use the word that you invented. 'Why can't I use it? Everyone else gets to use it. You know what? That's racism that I don't get to use it. You know, that's racist against me. You know, I have to inconvenience myself and hear this song and I can't sing along. How come I can't sing along?'"

Coates concluded that white people should use this sense as a lesson: "The experience of being a hip-hop fan and not being able to use the word 'ni**er' is actually very, very insightful. It will give you just a little peek into the world of what it means to be black. Because to be black is to walk through the world and watch people doing things that you cannot do, that you can't join in and do. So I think there's actually a lot to be learned from refraining."
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Ta-Nehisi Coates has an incredibly clear explanation for why white people shouldn't use the n-word

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He said that white people could learn something from not being able to use the word.

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Research Paper By Hillik Nissani
(Executive Coach, CYPRUS)

Dr. David Rock coined the term "Neuroleadership" and is the director of the Neuroleadership Institute, a global initiative bring neuroscientists and leadership experts together to build a new science for leadership development.

He is author of several books, such as Quiet Leadership and Your Brain at Work, which became best sellers.

Dr. David Rock also developed a model called SCARF, which I encountered and find extremely useful as a tool when coaching.

SCARF - Introduction

Social needs are treated in much the same way in the brain as the need for food and water.

The SCARF model involves five domains of human social experience:

Status - Status is about relative importance to others

Certainty - Certainty concerns being able to predict the future

Autonomy - Autonomy provides a sense of control over events

Relatedness - Relatedness is a sense of safety with others, of friend rather than foe

Fairness - fairness is a perception of fair exchanges between people

These five domains activate either the 'primary reward' or 'primary threat' sections (and associated networks) of the brain. For example, a perceived threat to one's status activates similar brain networks to a threat to one's life. In the same manner, a perceived increase in fairness activates the same reward sections as receiving a monetary reward.

Approach-Avoid Response

This principle represents the likelihood that when a person encounters a stimulus, their brain will either tag the stimulus as 'good' and engages in the stimulus (approach), or their brain will tag the stimulus as 'bad' and they will disengage from the stimulus (avoid).

If a stimulus is associated with positive feelings/results or rewards, it will likely lead to an approach response; if it is associated with a negative outcome or punishments, it will likely lead to an avoid response. The response is particularly strong when the stimulus is associated with survival.

This mechanism is one of functions of the Amygdala, which is part of the limbic system. This system reacts before a stimuli reaches conscious awareness and in a way, may hijack our behavior. This means that when the brain identifies a threat, we react in a protective way - by behaving away from the classified threat and / or creating distance between the threatening object and ourselves. While this is part of our survival instinct, and is essential for our survival, it may lead us to demonstrate undesired behaviors that prevent us from achieving our goals and may come in our way to create intimacy and strong relationship with other people - be it in a context of work, friendship or relationships.

SCARF - Application

Many people feel 'bad' sometimes. They use different words to describe their situation - "down", "there is a shadow surrounding me", "depressed", "drained", "lack of energy" and so on.

Most of these people, when asked about why they feel like that, do not know or unable to point a finger on the exact issue that led to this feeling. This leads to a situation in which, not only do they feel "bad", they are also frustrated from not being to "name" and explain where this feeling is coming from.

The SCARF model and its dimensions allow us to quickly identify the reason behind the undesired feelings and reactions and can be used as an empowering tool to improve the situation.

The SCARF can be applied to oneself, but also to others, making it a great tool to achieve the following:

Understand your own reactions and those of others

Better regulate your emotions

Better communicate your needs to others

Make choices more suited to your own preferences

I often teach this tool to my coachees and encourage them to use it as part of their routine, both when they 'feel bad' or react in a non-constructive manner as well as for understanding other people's reactions.

Whenever they realize, either by self-observation or by means of getting a feedback from someone that one of the dimensions is threatened, it is possible to identify ways to do one of two - either reduce the threats or increase the rewards.

Here is how it could work.

Step 1

Map the importance of each dimension by asking - "how important is this for you?"

Step 2

Ask - "In the current situation, how is dimension impacted?"

Step 3

Based on the severity of the situation - ask "what can be done to either improve the situation in this dimension, by either reducing the threat or by increasing the reward, or by compensation in other dimensions.

The severity of the situation is high when the dimension is highly important for us and it is greatly impacted by a severe threat and vice versa - low severity happens when the dimension's importance is low and it is lightly impacted.

Example

Andreas was a high-ranking executive in Bank of Cyprus until March 2013, when a major crisis involving the bank and the whole Cyprus economy led to his dismissal. After a long career in the bank, he found himself at home, unable to land a job that will fit his salary expectations, interest and seniority. He came to me for consultation - with an extremely low self-esteem and on the verge of being depressed.

We analyzed the five dimensions to figure out where he stands and what can be done to help him feel better and improve his situation.

In the first step, we look at the importance of each dimension. Andreas' marked high the following - Certainty, Status, Relatedness and Autonomy. Fairness was not that critical to him.

We then discussed the impact of the new situation in each of the dimensions and the following was a summary of the discussion.

Status - Adreas' status was severely hurt. From being a senior executive with many employees reporting to him to an unemployed, forced to retire 43 years old "has been" - this was hurting him a lot. His Status dimension "score" was decreased significantly.

Certainty - Andreas' future was obscured. While he managed to amass some funds over the years, the future was unclear. He was constantly worried about his ability to resurrect his career given the limited options that were available in Cyprus for business managers like him. Relocating to another country was an option, but that would have been affecting himself as well as his family and he didn't feel his wife was greatly supportive of such a move. He felt he has very little ability to predict the future or to at least feel comfortable that he could land a proper job anytime soon. His Certainty dimension score was decreased significantly.

Autonomy - Andreas was now at home, controlling his own daily schedule. While he missed the bank's daily routine, he admitted that the ability to control how his day looks actually felt good. His Autonomy dimension score increased a little.

Relatedness - Andreas found that his close friends and family members were very supportive. None of them criticized him. They all understood it was not his fault and did their best to support him emotionally as well as offered help in whatever they could, however, he didn't feel like hanging out with them, as it reminded him of his status and that was painful. His wife, while not wanting to relocate, was very understanding and supportive and that was actually very reassuring and comforting. His Relatedness dimension score was more or less the same.

Fairness - Andreas was angry and frustrated. He was always a highly valued manager at the bank. He was well respected and appreciated by his manager (the bank's CEO), his peers and subordinates. The layoffs were totally not a direct outcome of his own performance and for obvious reasons he felt that what has happened to him was not fair. His Fairness dimension score was decreased significantly.

I then turned to step 3 and asked him what he thinks he can do to improve his situation - either by increasing the reward or decreasing the threats - while looking at the five dimensions. We concluded a session with a task that Andreas took upon himself - to come with a plan to achieve the above. He asked me for some reading materials and more info about the SCARF model and promised to come with a strong action plan when we meet next.

The next session was a week later and Andreas showed up and looked much better. His energy levels were up, he was smiling again and his body language was communicating that he is doing a lot better.

First of all, he told me that he decided to meet with friends again. He said that he picked a couple and went out one night with them to dinner. The camaraderie, the great evening they spent and their support for him filled him up with positive energy. He decided he was not going to stay away from friends, but rather seek the companionship of a few friends that made him feel good with himself. "If these are my friends, and they think highly of me, then I must be worth a lot. It was a good feeling to know that they still admire a lot of things about me" - were his words. His Relatedness dimension score was increasing.

Also, after reading one of the articles he found online about SCARF, he decided apply for the position of the coach his son's football team in school, which was surprisingly vacant. Andreas was a good player himself and thought that the position could do him service. As a coach, all the kids' parents were calling him and coming to talk to him about their sons. All of a sudden - he mattered and influenced the lives of quite a few people - kids and their parents that wanted their kids to play... His Status dimension score was on the rise again.

Andreas started looking at various consultancy ideas he had. Cyprus is an international financial hub and as such, many companies were opening offices and domiciling in Cyprus, which is part of the EU. After a random chat with one of his friends over the above-mentioned dinner, he realized that his knowledge can be of service to many entrepreneurs that wish to take advantage of what Cyprus has to offer and that using his connections - he can get quite a few referrals. When he came to me, he already had two meetings with prospects and he felt that he could close a deal with at least one of them. "If this thing works, I can probably make a better salary and control my own schedule. My future will not be controlled by others any more". Both his Certainty dimension score as well as his Autonomy dimension scores was improving.
By taking the above actions, Andreas managed to decrease the threats from this new situation, and increase the rewards associated.
Within two weeks, Andreas was on a roll and our sessions soon switched from 'how he can survive" into "how he can build a business, hire more people and let them work for him". It was an amazing process for both of us.

The above is an example of how the model can be applied in one-on-one coaching, but obviously, the applications are also relevant for group coaching.

Leadership Applications

A good understanding of the model can help leaders influence others.

A good leader understands the impact of his behaviour, action and attitude. Everything she might say will be interpreted by his peers, colleagues and subordinates and will impact the five dimensions.

A simple remark or comment about one's work can send his status, certainty, relatedness and even fairness and autonomy downhill, causing him to disengage and will most likely affect that person's performance. A good leader realises this and knows how to convey the same message in a constructive and positive manner that will empower the employee to figure out his wrongdoing and correct his behaviour.

Here is an additional resource, in case you wish to read some more about Dr. David Rock's work and how it could apply to business leaders and to coaches that work with executives and managers.
http://www.strategy-business.com/media/file/sb43_06207.pdf

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Research Paper: David Rock - SCARF Model

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Research Paper By Hillik Nissani (Executive Coach, CYPRUS) Dr. David Rock coined the term "Neuroleadership" and is the director of the Neuroleadership Institute, a global initiative bring neuroscientists and leadership experts together to build a new science for leadership development. He is author of several books, such as Quiet Leadership and Your Brain at Work, which became best sellers.

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Title

Pocket Guide to Probing Questions

Attribution

Developed by Gene Thompson-Grove (adapted from Thompson-Grove and Edorah Frazer).

Description

An examination of the differences between probing and clarifying questions.

Last Updated

March 30, 2017

[acf_ProtocolInfo_Related Tools]

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Title Pocket Guide to Probing Questions Attribution Developed by Gene Thompson-Grove (adapted from Thompson-Grove and Edorah Frazer). Description An examination of the differences between probing and clarifying questions. Last Updated March 30, 2017 [acf_ProtocolInfo_Related Tools]

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Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth – A free online professional development curriculum

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This site hosts a series of free, online professional development modules for school and public youth services librarians, library administrators, and others interested in improving their knowledge about race and racism, racial equity, and culturally sustaining pedagogy. The primary focus of the Project READY curriculum is on improving relationships with, services to, and resources for youth of color and Native youth.

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Universality claim of attachment theory-Keller

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Working towards anti-racist perspectives in attachment theory, research and practice

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Join us for the series! DEC and ECTA are hosting various experts in the field of early childhood special education and early intervention in disrupting the pervasive inequities of our systems. Topics will include troubling notions of "at risk," challenging biases about families in home based services, suspension and expulsion in early childhood settings, counteracting racism and ableism in early childhood systems, and engaging in systems change in pursuit of equity. Sessions will be offered live and recorded.

​

Interested in accessing the recordings? Sign up here for access to the full set of archived videos.

Upcoming Webinars

The ABCs of Anti Racist Early Intervention

Uncovering and Resisting Racism and Ableism in Early Childhood

Archived Webinars

In Pursuit of Equity in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education

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Presented by Sheresa Boone Blanchard, PhD, and Jen Newton, PhD, chairs of the DEC Inclusion, Equity and Social Justice Committee

​

Sheresa Boone Blanchard, Ph.D. is an associate professor at East Carolina University in the department of Human Development and Family Science. She primarily teaches courses in the birth through kindergarten teacher education program, a blended licensure area in North Carolina. Her research and teaching focus on family/community engagement, inclusion, families of color, assessment, and improving teacher preparation competencies through lenses of intersectionality, equity, and social justice. Her scholarly interests emerged from over 20 years of experience as a teacher, practitioner and consultant in early childhood, special education, and early intervention. Dr. Blanchard currently serves as co-chair of the Division for Early Childhood's Inclusion, Equity, and Social Justice Committee and serves as a commissioner for the North Carolina Child Care Commission as well as other state and local level initiatives and boards.

Jen Newton, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at OHIO University. Dr. Newton's research interests include strengths-based approaches to families, early childhood inclusion, and inclusive teacher preparation through a lens of anti-ableism and anti-racism. She served as an early interventionist and an inclusive prekindergarten teacher prior to pursuing doctoral studies. Dr. Newton earned her doctorate in special education from the University of Kansas and spent four years as an assistant professor at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., then three years at Saint Louis University before finding her home at Ohio University. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook @teachingisintellectual.

The History of Inequities and Its Impact on Young Children

Session Description: You may have heard of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), but what about racial, historical, and generational trauma? This workshop will take you through history to better understand racial inequity and its impact on today's families.

About Gloria Neal

From being a tv news anchor and reporter, radio reporter on News radio 850 KOA, a women's health podcast host, to a radio talk show host, as well as a columnist and now to being a Director of Public Affairs with the Mayor's office, Gloria Neal's versatility keeps her very busy all across the country.

With over 30 years of combined experience working with city government, nonprofits and private sector organizations, Gloria brings her passion and problem-solving skills to everything she touches. And it is that drive which enables her to be successful in traditional and non-traditional environments.

Gloria is a strong believer in community involvement and in serving the community. She has been heavily involved in mentoring, philanthropic and community driven causes not only in Denver, but also in other cities across the country.

Currently, Gloria Neal is the Director of Public Affairs for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.

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Bias, Race, and Microaggressions in Early Childhood

Session Description: ​​This training will engage participants in discussions related to key social justice and equity issues impacting how we lead, serve, and interact within ECSE programs. Implicit bias, color-blind, and culture-blind ideology will be discussed as barriers to addressing racial equity in ECSE. Microaggressions will be examined and practical strategies for how to respond to microaggressions will be presented.

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About Dr. Rosemarie Allen

Rosemarie Allen has served as a leader in early childhood education for nearly 40 years. Her life's work is centered on ensuring children have access to high-quality early childhood programs that are developmentally and culturally appropriate. She is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her classes are focused on ensuring teachers are aware of how issues of equity, privilege, and power impact teaching practices. Rosemarie has served in directorship roles with the Colorado Department of Human Services where she was responsible for the State's child care licensing program, the federal child care assistance program, the redesign of the State's quality rating and improvement system, the implementation of the State's professional development plan, and assisted in the creation of Colorado's early learning guidelines. Rosemarie is a respected keynote speaker and has the distinct honor of being appointed as a "Global Leader" to represent the United States at World Conferences across the globe.

Dr. Allen's non-profit Institute for Racial Equity & Excellence (IREE) serves as the lead agency for ensuring equity in educational practices throughout the nation. IREE monitors and licenses child care centers using a model she created, "Culturally Responsive Community-Based Licensing". Rosemarie also served on President Obama's "My Brother's Keeper" (MBK) initiative, Early Childhood Task Force. In that role, she was the national expert on implicit bias and culturally responsive practices, speaking at conferences across the country. She also serves as a contractor for the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations focusing on equity, implicit bias, and culturally responsive practices in the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children.

Rosemarie earned her B. A. from California State University, Master's of Education from Lesley University, and a Doctorate Degree in Leadership for Equity in Education from the University of Colorado, Denver.

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Join us for the series! DEC and ECTA are hosting various experts in the field of early childhood special education and early intervention in disrupting the pervasive inequities of our systems. Topics will include troubling notions of "at risk," challenging biases about families in home based services, suspension and expulsion in early childhood settings, counteracting racism and ableism in early childhood systems, and engaging in systems change in pursuit of equity.

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Stories at EmbraceRace: First-person stories in which race is central and meaningful. 

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Stories at EmbraceRace: First-person stories in which race is central and meaningful. 

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EmbraceRace fights systemic racism by supporting parents to raise children who are brave, informed and thoughtful about race. Join the movement!

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Cultural Appreciation vs Cultural Appropriation: Why It Matters

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Cultural Appreciation vs Cultural Appropriation: Why It Matters

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Cultural exchange and appreciation are the core values of Greenheart Club. Learning to understand a culture that is different than your own is so important in becoming a global citizen and leader. Through our participants, we've heard so many wonderful stories of people of different backgrounds coming together to exchange ideas through service.

It is important to understand, however, that there is a difference between appreciation and appropriation. Appreciation is when someone seeks to understand and learn about another culture in an effort to broaden their perspective and connect with others cross-culturally. Appropriation on the other hand, is simply taking one aspect of a culture that is not your own and using it for your own personal interest. Appropriation could mean of purchasing a piece of jewelry or clothing that may have important cultural significance to that culture, but simply using it as a fashion statement. It could be taking a photo of a ritual ceremony simply for the sake of getting as many likes on Facebook as possible. Regardless, taking a part of another culture without understanding what it truly means can be harmful not only to those whose culture you are using but also to those with whom you share it.

So, how can you explore and take part in a culture without exploiting it for your own use? Here are a few great ways!

Still unsure? Use the infographic below to check yourself and make sure that you are respecting and appreciating other cultures in an appropriate way!

At Greenheart Club, our participants are actively engaged in mutual exchange and cultural appreciation. What are some ways that you show your appreciation of other cultures?

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Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation: Why it Matters

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By Kelsey Holmes, Greenheart Club Program Assistant Cultural exchange and appreciation are the core values of Greenheart Club. Learning to understand a culture that is different than your own is ...

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The Intergenerational Wisdom of Indigenous Storytelling

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The Intergenerational Wisdom of Indigenous Storytelling

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TEDx SHORTS - The intergenerational wisdom of Indigenous storytelling

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Community organizer and educator Tai Simpson uses storytelling to help build cultural bridges and create change for future generations. This talk was filmed at TEDxBoise. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED’s mission of ideas worth spreading. To learn more…

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ResearchGate is a network dedicated to science and research. Connect, collaborate and discover scientific publications, jobs and conferences. All for free.

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https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/trauma-concept

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Understanding Historical Trauma when Responding to an Event in Indian Country

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Understanding Historical Trauma when Responding to an Event in Indian Country

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https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4866.pdf

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Let's talk about fat bias and thin privilege | Madison A. Krall | TEDxMileHigh

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At the start of Black History Month 2019, Google designed its daily-changing homepage logo to include an image of African-American activist Sojourner Truth, the great 19th-century abolitionist and women's rights activist. But what would Truth say about Google's continual lack of care and respect toward people of colour?

While bringing more attention to Sojourner Truth is venerable, Google can do better. As a professor and researcher of digital cultures, I have found that a lack of care and investment by tech companies towards users who are not white and male allows racism and sexism to creep into search engines, social networks and other algorithmic technologies.

Whiteness over-represented

For instance, when I search for "woman" or "girl" via Google's image search, the vast majority of results are pictures of thin white women (with the notable exceptions being a woman in a hijab, a white woman without a nose and a disabled girl).

People of colour are not completely absent, but they are underrepresented on Google's image search. For example of the first 50 images when searching for "girl," 46 displayed white girls, three were of Asian girls and only one included a Black girl. These well-documented disparities in search-engine results are in part due to the dismal low number of Black women working at Google - only 1.2 per cent of their workforce.

To make matters worse, Google suggests that I narrow down my search results with adjectives ranging from "attractive" to "skinny" to "pregnant." In contrast, when searching for "men" (a category that also overrepresents whiteness), the first three adjectives are "cartoon," "hair style" and "old." These adjectives may be descriptive, but they also replicate the stereotype that women are primarily valued for their beauty and reproductive organs and men are important for their personality and wisdom. Stereotyping is endemic to most any digital technology like Google that aims to replicate how humans already sort information.

Social media researcher and UCLA professor Safiya Noble has written most extensively on this topic. In her book Algorithms of Oppression, she points out that Google suggests racist and sexist search results are the user's fault since they simply reflect our own cultural assumptions and previous search histories. Noble also illustrates how Google's algorithms skew their results in ways that prioritize advertisers and the white affluent audiences they are often trying to attract.

My research has shown how these biased practices are unthinkingly adopted from earlier industries and technologies dominated by white men.

After reading Noble's work, many of my students decided to test Google out themselves. They found that while the specific searches that Noble performed now lead to reasonable results, many others do not. Google has clearly made a change since Noble conducted her research. Google has not publicly stated why they made this change, but the timing suggests it was in response to Noble's work.

What caught my student's eye was that Google's algorithms still appears to favour sexualized images of Latinas and Asian women and girls in both their search results and the images displayed. The student's informal search results featured scantily clad women - and seemed to do so much more than their white counterparts.

Suggestive autocompletion

NYU Press

The racism on Google is certainly not limited to the search result images it displays. It is also evident in its autocomplete function, which tries to guess what exactly you want to search for.

For years, searches for variations on "Black women," led to racist and sexist suggestions. Now Google simply no longer autocompletes with anything at all. For instance, now when I type "Why are Black women so" into Google's search bar - the search that is on the cover of Noble's book - it does not autocomplete at all.

This reduction of autocomplete functionality is Google's typical response when journalists and scholars point to blatant racism on its site. At this moment, Google no longer autocompletes, among other things, the phrases "blacks are," "asians are," "homosexuals are," "Latinos are," "Muslims are," and "Jews are" but does autocomplete "whites are," "Latinas are," "heterosexuals are" and "Canadians are."

This tendency to reduce rather than improve functionality when it comes to minorities goes beyond autocomplete. For instance, when people began pointing out that Google was misidentifying Black people as gorillas in 2015, Google's response was simply to no longer use "gorilla" as a descriptor at all; rather than fix their algorithm, they chose to break it more so now Google can also no longer identify gorillas.

Long-term fixes

At the beginning of 2018, Wired magazine and others pointed out that Google still could not accurately identify or label either gorillas or Black people. Reducing functionality by simply turning off technologies may be a fine short-term response, but in the long term, the internet becomes a less welcoming and useful space for people of colour and women.

Considering Google's status as a monopoly and its desire to continually present itself as a public good company, it is surprisingly muted when it comes to these vital areas it must improve on. The same is true for virtually every other major tech company, though some, like Facebook, are beginning to bow to public pressure by kicking white nationalists off their sites.

This comes weeks after they were heavily criticized and sued for their role in the New Zealand Christchurch mosque attack. Given their long history of censoring Black Lives matter posts rather than those made by white supremacists, and their desire to continue allowing Holocaust denials to be posted, this certainly feels like too little, too late.

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Google's algorithms discriminate against women and people of colour

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At the start of Black History Month 2019, Google designed its daily-changing homepage logo to include an image of African-American activist Sojourner Truth, the great 19th-century abolitionist and women's rights activist. But what would Truth say about Google's continual lack of care and respect toward people of colour?

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Groundwater Approach - Racial Equity Institute

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Schedules Resources Black Pearls Groundwater Institute Groundwater Approach Report REI IN THE NEWS Partner Organizations Study Online Resources Bibliography REI BLOG Contact BOOK REI

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Jennifer Allyn is not someone you'd expect to embrace the notion that a woman's place is at home. She earned a master's degree from Harvard Kennedy School, served as an HR consultant to Fortune 500 companies and is currently leading diversity efforts for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. She sits on women's leadership boards, won a Feminist Press award and is her family's primary breadwinner.

So it stands to reason that when this accomplished professional sees the word "career," she thinks of women as often as men.

Except she doesn't.

Somewhere in her subconscious-so deeply buried that she isn't aware of it-Allyn associates women with families and men with careers. So says the assessment she took called the Implicit Association Test (IAT), a well-respected tool designed to uncover hidden biases about everything from race to gender to age.

Somewhere in her subconscious-so deeply buried that she isn't aware of it-Allyn associates women with families and men with careers. So says the assessment she took called the Implicit Association Test (IAT), a well-respected tool designed to uncover hidden biases about everything from race to gender to age.

"I was raised in a family where my father was the breadwinner and my mother was the caregiver," says Allyn, who was stunned by the IAT results. "It's a pretty good jolt when you realize that no matter what your conscious mind may think, there are other dynamics at play."

Those "other dynamics" may be biases that we embrace on an unconscious level-deep prejudices or stereotypes imparted by upbringing, culture and mass media that influence our perceptions about people and our behavior toward them.

"Hidden biases are not a sign of a bad person," says Zabeen Hirji, CHRO of the Toronto-based Royal Bank of Canada, which in 2013 co-hosted, with Ernst & Young, a forum on hidden bias for 300 corporate and community leaders. "Most people have them. Once we accepted that ... it allowed us to talk about these issues in a nonjudgmental way. What's bad is not trying to understand what your unconscious biases are."

Skin color, gender and age are generally what people think of when they consider biases, but individuals can harbor unconscious prejudice about myriad characteristics, including:

Height and weight.

Introversion and extroversion.

Marital and parental status.

Disability status (for example, the use of a wheelchair or cane).

Foreign accents.

Where someone attended college.

Hobbies or extracurricular activities.

All of these characteristics and many others can imperceptibly influence everything from who gets interviewed to who gets hired to who gets fired. They can affect the way people are mentored, how employees socialize with one another, who is given plum assignments and promotions, and much more.

Which is why a growing number of U.S. corporations offer training programs aimed at rooting out hidden biases.

"Most of our large clients are doing some kind of unconscious-bias training, compared to five years ago-and this is happening globally," says Margaret Regan, president and CEO of The FutureWork Institute, a global diversity consultancy. "It is probably the one topic that is requested for global and U.S. training by all of our clients going into 2015."

"Most of our large clients are doing some kind of unconscious-bias training, compared to five years ago-and this is happening globally." Margaret Regan, The FutureWork Institute

Sara Taylor, a diversity expert and founder of deepSEE Consulting, says unconscious-bias training is among the top three e-learning subjects requested by her clients. "More people are starting to see this as something that we've got to pay attention to," she says.

None Are Immune

Lest you think you're immune to having hidden biases, try taking one of the IATs at https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit. Chances are you'll be surprised by the results.

Test participants, who click on specific letters on the keyboard to sort words into one of two categories, respond more quickly when they perceive that certain words-such as "men" and "career"-are closely related. One version, the Race IAT, reveals that 75 percent of its takers, including some black individuals, have an implicit preference for white people over black people.

Other versions show that Americans prefer thin people over fat people, heterosexuals over homosexuals, and young people over old people. Most Americans, like Allyn, tend to associate women with families and men with careers, according to some versions of the IAT.

Research by a leader in the field of hidden bias-Mahzarin R. Banaji-shows that the human brain is wired to make lightning-quick decisions that draw on one's assumptions and experiences but that may also be based on misguided generalizations.

"People make judgments and decisions that are totally wrong," says Anthony G. Greenwald, a University of Washington psychology professor who created the IAT in 1994. "This automatic operation of the mind can lead to behavior that produces disparate impacts-totally without any awareness or intention."

Most recruiters, HR professionals and managers are taught to avoid behaving differently toward people based on obvious traits such as gender, race, age or disability. Harder to recognize is the disparate treatment that occurs based on subtler biases. For example, is the applicant a married man, and does that make him appear stable? Is she a single mother, and does that make her seem unreliable? Does he speak with a Southern twang, which may give the impression that he's not terribly bright?

Hidden bias can have legal repercussions. International organizational consulting firm Human Facets asserts on its website that "unconscious bias is increasingly being used in employment litigation to prove discrimination."

Indeed, it was a central issue in Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in which 2 million women sued the retail giant for gender discrimination. Unconscious-bias arguments have also been used in class-action suits against Home Depot and FedEx, with the companies settling for $87.5 million and $53.5 million, respectively. And hidden bias has been raised in class actions against Fortune 500 companies such as Best Buy, Johnson & Johnson, Cargill, Merrill Lynch, General Electric, American Express, MetLife and Morgan Stanley.

​Tips for Avoiding Biased Behavior

​ Reprinted with permission from Outsmarting our Brains: Overcoming Hidden Biases to Harness Diversity's True Potential, ©2013 Ernst & Young LLP.

Retraining Your Brain

Recognizing the pervasive effects that hidden bias can have on the workplace, companies large and small are hiring consultants-or turning to their HR departments-to do something about it.

At the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Hirji embarked on hidden-bias training by having Banaji speak in May 2013 to the bank's CEO, as well as to senior managers from RBC and Ernst & Young (EY). The response was so positive that RBC and EY then hosted their hidden-bias forum with 300 Canadian leaders from corporations, academia, government and diversity advocacy groups. Today, about 1,000 RBC employees have participated in training sessions on hidden bias, which involve a mix of speakers, discussions and test-taking. The bank also has an internal social media platform that allows employees to talk about unconscious bias.

The training has had a palpable effect. Hirji tells of one executive who confessed that, after receiving training, he caught himself reflexively deciding to pick one of his male stars for a plum overseas job. "He stopped and thought about who else might be on his list, and it ended up being a woman," Hirji recalls.

Fiona Macfarlane, EY's chief inclusiveness officer for Canada, admitted that, as a South African immigrant, she tended to give other new immigrants special access and privileges because she empathized with them.

Macfarlane has developed a pamphlet for managers encouraging them to take people who appear very different from themselves to lunch or to include team members who may seem like outsiders in social events. The pamphlet notes that diverse teams perform better than homogenous ones.

In 2011, global pharmaceutical company Pfizer held a three-hour workshop on hidden bias for company leaders. Today, before managers interview job applicants, they're given a "tip sheet" that helps limit hidden bias from playing a role. Whenever possible, job interviews are conducted by a panel of diverse stakeholders.

Before PricewaterhouseCoopers managers write performance evaluations, Allyn sends them reminders to be on guard against "prototype bias" (the tendency to habitually think of the same people for choice assignments) and "affinity bias" (the inclination to identify with employees who have interests similar to the manager's).

Some experts suggest conducting "blind" reviews of resumes-that is, assessing resumes that have been stripped of identifying information such as name and gender-when narrowing a list of applicants. In this approach, the company creates objective scoring systems: A master's degree might earn more points than a bachelor's degree, for example, and points may be earned based on number of years in a relevant position. This gives managers a method for ranking resumes without knowing whether an applicant is a man or a woman, Asian or white, 25 or 45.

​Do I typically hire the same type of person?

​When I say a candidate is not the right fit, what do I mean?

​What does my slate of candidates look like? Do I speak up if it is not sufficiently diverse?

​Which of my past hires were successful, and what can I learn from the choices that didn't work out?

​Who do I like to assign to work on-and lead-project teams? Do I have the same go-to people all or most of the time?

​Who do I take to important client or cross-team meetings?

​Who do I encourage to lead or speak out at meetings? Am I creating opportunities for those less extroverted to demonstrate their capabilities?

​How do I identify candidates for promotion and succession?

Reprinted with permission from Outsmarting our Brains: Overcoming Hidden Biases to Harness Diversity's True Potential, ©2013 Ernst & Young LLP.

For Smaller HR Shops

While the RBCs and Pfizers of the world have the money and staff to invest in training about hidden bias, that's not always possible for smaller companies.

Lisa Whealon is director of human resources for the GL Group, a midsize, family-owned company in St. Louis with about 200 employees that distributes and sells books to schools.

"Larger companies tend to have protocols and processes in place to limit the possibility of bias," Whealon says. "I feel it is companies our size and smaller that really have to watch out for these biases during the recruiting and hiring process."

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Jennifer Allyn is not someone you'd expect to embrace the notion that a woman's place is at home. She earned a master's degree from Harvard Kennedy School, served as an HR consultant to Fortune 500 companies and is currently leading diversity efforts for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

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Understanding Implicit Bias in the Workplace

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Understanding Implicit Bias in the Workplace

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Most people understand the meaning of explicit bias (being aware of your own prejudices toward specific groups of people), but implicit bias is harder to pin down, is often overlooked, and is harder to prevent. Implicit biases are unintentional beliefs that affect our attitudes, actions, and choices unconsciously. These biases are also often referred to as unconscious biases.

The truth of the matter is that we all have implicit biases that affect our way of life and work in the world. They can, and sometimes will, affect workers and your organization, so identifying them is crucial to helping establish a safe workplace.

Different Types of Bias

Judging others based on their culture, age, gender, religion, race, politics, etc. is a bias.

Let's look at some less thought of implicit biases.

Affinity bias refers to our tendency as humans to gravitate toward people similar to ourselves. So inevitably we are drawn to others that share our same beliefs, gender, politics, race, etc.

Ageism is thinking negatively of someone based on their age. This is evident in multi-generational workforces and has been covered in the news with stories about how Millennials have ruined different industries such as diamonds, chain restaurants, and napkins.

Attribution bias is the perception that women are less competent than men.

Beauty bias refers to judging people based on their attractiveness and is more often targeted toward women.

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency we have to look for validation or information that confirms beliefs we already hold.

Conformity bias occurs when your views change because of the views of others around you.

The Contrast Effect refers to evaluating the performance of one person in comparison to another because you experienced the two either simultaneously or in close succession.

Gender bias means you prefer one gender over any other gender overall or for a specific job role.

The Halo/Horns Effect is how you perceive someone based on the information you have learned about them. If it's positive, you tend to put them on a pedestal, but if it's negative, you could see them in a negative light.

Name bias is simply making judgments about someone based solely on their name alone.

Weight bias is judging someone based on their physical size.

Defining Important Terms Related to Bias

Bias. Stereotypes. Prejudice. Discrimination. These words are often used, and sometimes interchangeably, but they are indeed different.

Bias is the act of showing a preference or disdain, for one thing, person, or group, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

Stereotypes are oversimplified generalizations about groups of people based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, etc. They can be positive (such as when women suggest they have better soft skills) but are often negative (such as when one generation sees negative qualities in another generation).

Prejudice ties into bias, and refers to the beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and attitudes someone holds about a group. It's not based on an actual experience, but is a prejudgment.

Discrimination is the actual action taken against a person or group of people based on age, race, religion, health, among other characteristics.

Effects of Bias in the Workplace

Sadly, implicit bias is present in the workplace. Since it's an unconscious perception, it's harder to pinpoint. Unconscious bias affects how we evaluate talent, performance, assignments, and promotions. The irony with implicit bias in the workplace is that some people can reap the benefits of it while others are at a disadvantage. That can weigh on anyone's emotions and negatively affect organizational culture

Here are just a few examples of implicit bias in the workplace:

Job seekers face the uphill battle of fighting implicit bias, which can be especially prevalent during the recruitment process. Simply a name, hometown, or even school choice could trigger something in the mind of the recruiter.

A strong preferential bias can lead to workplace bullying, harassment, or discrimination. This then puts the business at risk of lawsuits and damage to its reputation.

Bias in the Real World

While videos pop up every day of people ranting against specific groups or beliefs, Starbucks had an incident go viral.

In 2018, two black men were sitting in a Philadelphia Starbucks when they were arrested for not making a purchase. The manager of that location had called the police and said that two men hadn't bought anything and refused to leave. The two black men calmly answered questions and said they were meeting someone. The man they were meeting, a Caucasian, arrived and argued with the police, calling them discriminatory. In the end, the two black men were arrested on suspicion of trespassing.

Following the incident, Starbucks ex-CEO and face of the company, Howard Shultz said, "I think you have to say in looking at the tape that she demonstrated her own level of unconscious bias."

Unconscious bias became an instant trending topic. And just weeks after the incident, Starbucks closed more than 8,000 U.S. stores to conduct racial-bias training for employees.

Dealing With Implicit Bias at Work

Promoting a culture of respect at work encourages the expression of diverse ideas which can lead to higher creativity and innovation.

Monitor the workplace for implicit bias and question comments or remarks that are overheard.

Slow down the decision-making process and allow time to consider the reasoning behind the decisions being made. This way they are no "snap judgments" made. This can be useful when recruiting, hiring, promoting, and firing employees.

Check out this video preview on how to minimize bias.

Establish a diversity training program. Organizations can encourage awareness of people's automatic assumptions about others and provide the tools needed to recognize, examine, and correct inappropriate or unprofessional behavior.

It's important to educate employees on the types of unconscious bias and the consequences that can come from it.

Techniques can be taught to foster an open-minded approach to a diverse environment, leading to the recognition of skills and potential in others that we might otherwise miss out on.

Online training is quickly becoming the best way to teach employees the skills they need to do their jobs. BizLibrary curates a vast video training library with numerous courses focused on developing all types of interpersonal awareness and skills. Our micro-video format breaks the content up into smaller, more manageable chunks, making it easier for employees to learn and apply these skills on the job.

We're currently offering free access to some of our most popular D&I training videos - click the image below to access the full playlist!

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Understanding Implicit Bias in the Workplace | BizLibrary

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Most people understand the meaning of explicit bias (being aware of your own prejudices toward specific groups of people), but implicit bias is harder to pin down, is often overlooked, and is harder to prevent. Implicit biases are unintentional beliefs that affect our attitudes, actions, and choices unconsciously.

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Historically Advantaged and  Disadvantaged Identities

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Historically Advantaged and  Disadvantaged Identities

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Resource from July 2021 Meeting

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Preliminary Information

On the next page you'll be asked to select an Implicit Association Test (IAT) from a list of possible topics . We will also ask you (optionally) to report your attitudes or beliefs about these topics and provide some information about yourself.

We ask these questions because the IAT can be more valuable if you also describe your own self-understanding of the attitude or stereotype that the IAT measures. We would also like to compare differences between people and groups.

On the IAT, you may find it easier to pair certain attributes with one group of people compared to another. Your IAT results may depart from your personal beliefs.

Note: This site is designed for adults, aged 18 or older.

Data Privacy: Data exchanged with this site are protected by SSL encryption. Project Implicit uses the same secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) that banks use to securely transfer credit card information. This provides strong security for data transfer to and from our website. IP addresses are routinely recorded, but are completely confidential. For research purposes, data without directly identifying information is made publicly available. You can find more information on our Data Privacy page.

Important disclaimer: In reporting to you results of any IAT test that you take, we will mention possible interpretations that have a basis in research done (at the University of Washington, University of Virginia, Harvard University, and Yale University) with these tests. However, these Universities, as well as the individual researchers who have contributed to this site, make no claim for the validity of these suggested interpretations. If you are unprepared to encounter interpretations that you might find objectionable, please do not proceed further. You may prefer to examine general information about the IAT before deciding whether or not to proceed.

If you have questions about the study, please contact Project Implicit at questions@projectimplicit.net. To obtain more information about the study, ask questions about the research procedures, express concerns about your participation, or report illness, injury or other problems, please contact:

Tonya R. Moon, Ph.D.
Chair, Institutional Review Board for the Social and Behavioral Sciences
One Morton Dr Suite 500
University of Virginia, P.O. Box 800392
Charlottesville, VA 22908-0392
Email: irbsbshelp@virginia.edu
Website: https://research.virginia.edu/irb-sbs
Website for Research Participants: https://research.virginia.edu/research-participants

I am aware of the possibility of encountering interpretations of my IAT test performance with which I may not agree. Knowing this, I wish to proceed I am aware of the possibility of encountering interpretations of my IAT test performance with which I may not agree. Knowing this, I wish to proceed using a touchscreen OR using a keyboard.

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On the next page you'll be asked to select an Implicit Association Test (IAT) from a list of possible topics . We will also ask you (optionally) to report your attitudes or beliefs about these topics and provide some information about yourself.

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Kirwan Institute Implicit Bias Training Modules

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Kirwan Institute Implicit Bias Training Modules

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There are three ways to approach the Implicit Bias Module Series:

To obtain certification required by your Institution or Agency: Complete the 4 training modules and then go to Module 5, to test your knowledge and receive the certification via email.

Individual Module Verification: Select this option if your workplace/agency asks you to take individual or specific module(s) of this series. Go to that module, complete it and take the quiz via link provided at the end of each module. An email will be sent to verify completion of the individual module.

Anonymous Training: If you do not need any certificate or verification for going through the modules, you may still use the same quiz links provided after each quiz. No identifying information will be asked, and no email will be generated verifying the outcome.

Welcome

Welcome to the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity's Implicit Bias Module Series. At the Kirwan Institute at The Ohio State University, we are committed to the creation of a just and inclusive society, where all people and communities have the opportunity to succeed. Our commitment to this mission is why we work so hard to understand and overcome barriers that prevent access to opportunity in our society, such as implicit bias and racial disparities in our education system.

This course will introduce you to insights about how our minds operate and help you understand the origins of implicit associations. You will also uncover some of your own biases and learn strategies for addressing them. Each module is divided into a short series of lessons, many taking less than 10 minutes to complete. That way, even if you're pressed for time, you can complete the lessons and modules at your convenience.

We are excited that you are starting this process to explore implicit bias and what its operation means for your decisions and actions. Thank you for joining us!

About Us

The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity is an interdisciplinary engaged research institute at The Ohio State University established in May 2003. As a racial equity research institute, our goal is to connect individuals and communities with opportunities needed for thriving by educating the public, building the capacity of allied social justice organizations, and investing in efforts that support racial equity and inclusion. Here at the Kirwan Institute, we do this through research, engagement, and communication.

The Race and Cognition team at the Kirwan Institute would like to give thanks to all of those involved in the process of creating and launching the Online Implicit Bias training. Countless hours have been dedicated to the creation of the modules and we do not take that for granted. There are several people we would like to show an additional level of gratitude to:

Frequently Asked Questions
Why focus on implicit rather than explicit bias?
Although our modules focus primarily on implicit bias, Kirwan acknowledges that inclusion and equity efforts must also address explicit bias and discrimination in order to create real change. Our explicit and implicit attitudes are related constructs, and many times peoples' implicit and explicit attitudes are in alignment.

However, even though concepts are related, they are distinct. Someone can act in a biased manner based on their implicit associations, even if they do not indicate an explicit preference for certain individuals or groups. Learning about implicit bias provides a lens to help examine the causes of racial, gender, or other social disparities, even in the absence of explicit intent to discriminate or cause harm.
How long will it take me to complete these modules?
While everyone works at a different pace, these modules should take participants roughly 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to complete, depending on the time spent on activities and supplemental exercises.
Can I embed these training videos into my website?
The Kirwan Institute carefully tracks and uses data collected from this module series. While the embedding of these videos is restricted by the Kirwan Institute, we do allow organizations to iFrame this module series. The code to accomplish this is:

<iframe src="https://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/implicit-bias-training" height="1000" width="1400" title="Implicit Bias Training"></iframe>
Are these modules supported by research?
Yes. The methods and research shared in these modules is supported by our annual flagship publication, the State of the Science Implicit Bias Review. Each year, Kirwan researchers compile studies on the subject of implicit bias into an interdisciplinary literature review in a format that is accessible and easy to understand from a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds.
Does implicit bias reflect my beliefs about equity or inclusion?
We will get more into this during Module 1, but our implicit preferences do not necessarily align with our explicit beliefs. For example, one can believe in equality of all people and still hold a pro-self-identity bias. Importantly, some people possess implicit attitudes that do not align with their own held identities.
If I didn't intend to be biased in the first place, how will learning about implicit bias help?
Becoming aware of what biases you possess and the decisions that are most likely to be influenced by our unconscious processing can help you build interventions and strategies to prevent the expression of bias and unwanted outcomes. Our training also includes information about empirically based interventions to both reduce the expression of bias and alter the associations we possess.
What is the connection between implicit bias and how people act?
Implicit bias has been shown to impact decision-making across a wide array of sectors, including employment, medicine, and education. However, there are limitations to the extent to which unconscious biases can predict individual behavior. People with an implicit preference for one identity may not act on this bias or make biased decisions, much of this depends on the circumstance.
Does this training apply to me if I don't have implicit bias?
We will touch on this during the modules, but because biases can be activated across a wide-range of identities, we all hold some implicit preferences. However, even people without an implicit preference can still act in ways that produce discriminatory behavior, such as not speaking up when they see bias in their environment. This need to translate knowledge into action is why Kirwan also emphasizes the importance of being an Active Bystander.
Will these modules eliminate bias?
These modules are not designed to eliminate bias. Rather, we hope that an awareness of implicit bias and how it operates will help participants engage in more equitable decision-making practices and behaviors. These strategies to reduce the expression of bias are only one piece of the puzzle and should be complemented by policies and strategies to address institutional and explicit discrimination.
I'm not a K-12 educator, are these modules for me?
This module series includes examples and activities that are uniquely tailored to the experience of those who work in a K-12 education setting or closely-related field. However, much of the content in Modules 1, 3, and 4 are generalizable enough to apply to most audiences.

Module 1: Introduction

In this first module, you will be introduced to the basics of implicit bias:

What is meant by "implicit" or "unconscious" associations or biases?

How are implicit biases different from explicit biases?

What does it look and/or feel like when implicit associations operate?

How do our biases form?

Why does all of this matter?

You are encouraged to complete each lesson in order and at your pace. Each lesson is followed by a quick check-in question that will help us gauge your understanding thus far.

We hope you enjoy this first module!

Module 1: Recap

Implicit bias operates outside of our conscious awareness.

Implicit bias is unconscious, automatic, and relies on associations that we form over time.

We can form bias toward groups of people based on what we see in the media, our background, and experiences.

Our biases reflect how we internalize messages about our society rather than our intent. Nevertheless, we can still act on our biases in ways that can harm others.

Module 2: Recap

Implicit bias can turn even our best intentions into unwanted outcomes.

Teacher's implicit biases can impact their perceptions of the quality of students' work and the teaching strategies they choose to implement.

Implicit biases can impact perceptions of students behavior and is a contributor to racial differences in school discipline outcomes-particularly between Black and White students.

Institutional and historic patterns of inequity within the education system contribute to the manifestation of implicit bias in schools. A targeted approach to address the negative effects of implicit bias must also include strategies to address these systemic issues.

Take the IAT!

You can find out your own biases by taking an implicit association test at: https://implicit.harvard.edu/

All tests are free and take roughly 5 minutes

Try taking 2-3 tests and reflect on your results

Module 3: Recap

There are two main ways in which we measure implicit bias. We can understand our biases through examinations of our behavior and by looking at how our brain is activated through the use of imaging technology.

One of the most utilized behavioral assessments of implicit bias is the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which measures if there are positive or negative attitudes toward a particular concept or social group.

You can better understand your own biases by taking the IAT, available at https://implicit.harvard.edu/

It is important to reflect on your results. Consider how your background and personal experiences may have impacted your results.

Our Brains are Malleable

In this process of understanding what implicit bias is and getting to learn about our own biases, it is normal to start to feel like they are too deeply ingrained in our thoughts and actions to be able to combat their effects. However, as more research comes to light, we are able to find more and more ways to either lessen the effects of bias, or change the biases themselves. Although the latter is certainly a larger undertaking, it is very possible to do so. In the same way that our implicit biases were learned over time, we can disrupt this process with intention, attention and time.

This is because the neural connections between our associations get stronger as we take in more information that confirms our stereotypes or biases. By paying better attention to what we are exposed to and making the intentional choice to seek out experiences that go against our biases, we are able to disrupt this automatic chain of events, and those physical connection in our mind can be weakened. Two interventions we will be talking about later-mindfulness and intergroup contact, have shown the ability to not only stop the manifestation of these biases, but alter the implicit biases we possess.

Module 4: Recap

There are long term strategies and changes that we can engage in to reduce our unwanted biases, such as mindfulness and intergroup contact.

One of the best ways to prevent and intervene against bias, is by knowing when you are more susceptible to acting on it, such as moments of high ambiguity, subjectivity, or stress.

Knowledge about the operation of implicit bias can help inform the individual and institutional approaches you take to address inequitable outcomes in your classroom or school.

Learning about implicit bias provides a lens to help examine causes of racial, gender, or other social disparities, even in the absence of explicit intent to discriminate.

How long will it take me to complete this certificate process?
While everyone works at a different pace, this test should take individuals roughly 20-40 minutes to finish, depending on the time spent on the open-ended reflection questions.
How does this certificate process work?
There are roughly 30 questions in the test, including 16 graded questions, a number of open-ended reflection questions, and some demographic questions. Individuals will need to earn a minimum of 14 points out of 16 to get a certificate to verify actual completion of the Implicit Bias training modules. Participants will be asked to enter their name, email address at the beginning of the test. For those who pass the test, an email containing information verifying their completion of the Implicit Bias training modules will be sent automatically to the email address they entered.
What if I do not pass the test at 80%?
This certification process requires a minimum of 14 points out of 16 to pass. Individuals who score less than 14 points will need to retake the test if they would like to get a certificate of their actual completion of the Implicit Bias training modules. For those who do not wish to retake the test, we also offer to send an email to verify that they have at least gone through the training. All individuals will be able to indicate their choice once the score is displayed.
How many times can I take the test?
Individuals may take the test as many times as they would like. However, retaking the test too quickly without any review will be flagged in our completion report as it is indicative of false learning through simple repetition. It is recommended that individuals allow at least 30 minutes before restarting the test and take time to refresh their knowledge on implicit bias by going through the modules again.
Why can't I find the email verification of completion?
Emails sent from Kirwan Institute through Qualtrics systems can sometimes end up in your spam folder or "Other" category in your inbox, please check these locations if you are having trouble locating the email of verification for the Implicit Bias training. If you are sure that you have completed the test and earned at least 14 points but still having trouble locating the verification email, please send your name to us at kirwan-admin@osu.edu. We will try to locate your score and other information in our completion report and get back to you as soon as possible.

Additional Resources

Downloads

State of the Science Implicit Bias Review

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There are three ways to approach the Implicit Bias Module Series: To obtain certification required by your Institution or Agency: Complete the 4 training modules and then go to Module 5, to test your knowledge and receive the certification via email.

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Please print and bring to the August 3rd  COP

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Please print and bring to the August 3rd  COP

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Explore your own identity markers with this tool from Elena Aguilar. Resource from July 2021 Meeting

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Resource from July 2021 Meeting

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Resources from July 2021 Meeting

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By: Kate Loving, Manager

In our last update back in May, ProInspire Director Bianca Anderson discussed our strategic shift from competencies to leadership practices to build inclusive work environments. Feedback from partners and advisors helped us focus on how and why leadership practices can be a transformative tool to support race equity impact inside social sector organizations. As we dove deeper into the practices we began to notice that each Window of Leadership (Self, People, Organizations and Systems) starts with a foundational value or a value that isfundamental to and embedded within every practice in the corresponding Window.
Foundational Values
Windows of Leadership is our term for the perspectives or levels from which leaders can create impact - namely leadership of Self, People, Organizations, and Systems. Windows of Leadership provide a transparent reflection of the leadership skills needed to advance race equity. These windows are interdependent; they do not work in isolation but instead connect and support each other. We also understand that aspects of social identity, environment, and socialization will inform how our leadership shows up.

For each Window of Leadership, we identified the foundational value that is essential to its practice- Cultivating Inner Well-being in the leadership of Self, Centering Relationships in the leadership of People, Aligning Values in the leadership of Organizations, and Understanding Inequities in the leadership of Systems. These foundational values serve as both the outer frame and internal support for the practices in each window. Leaders should focus on developing and expanding their commitment to these values before and during their work on the practices in the correlating Window of Leadership.
Why Leading Self requires Inner Well-being
In our work with leaders and organizations, we almost always start with Self because it is so core to leadership and race equity. When examining race equity impact through the "Self Window," leaders see themselves as active learners on a journey of identity development. This process works to understand how different aspects of one's identity is privileged and/or marginalized in society.
In the Self Window, leaders:

Consider their holistic well-being, mental models, and internalized racial oppression/superiority in their leadership decisions.

Actively discover how they have been socialized and strive to heal internalized trauma that is passed down generationally.

Intentionally cultivate practices of wellness and self-compassion that extend to and support members of their community.

Are accountable for learning and unlearning limiting or inaccurate beliefs and ideologies; they pay particular attention to how internalized beliefs impact their behavior and how they show up.

Support measures and processes of accountability that evaluate their impact on others, particularly how their individual leadership does or does not work to advance race equity.

At the heart of the work in the Self Window, leaders must cultivate Inner Well-being to authentically and courageously practice Sense of Identity, Conscious Communication, and Radical Self-Love.

Inner Well-being allows leaders to interrupt patterns of isolation, separateness, and internalized racism through mindfulness

Inner Well-being means intentionally committing time and energy to deepen one's personal awareness through self-reflection and self-compassion. This commitment allows leaders to foster and demonstrate more joy, harmony, and fulfillment in their work. Cultivating Inner Well-being supports leaders by building the capacity to address the fears, anxieties, and trauma that often accompany race inequities. Inner Well-being allows leaders to interrupt patterns of isolation, separateness, and internalized racism through mindfulness

As a white woman, cultivating Inner Well-being has always felt crucial to me as I deepen my knowledge and skills to build equitable organizations. The brilliant Ericka Hines* encourages and pushes us to, "be humble and ready to fumble," through race equity work. I have found that intentionally committing time and energy to deepen my personal awareness through self-reflection and self-compassion gives me the knowledge, capacity, and courage, to be vulnerable and ready to fumble.
How I cultivate Inner Well-being while working through the Practices in the Self Window: Sense of Identity Conscious Communication Radical Self-Love
Cultivating Inner Well-being through self-reflection and self-compassion is how I work through my fears and anxieties, especially those that come with the insecurities and inadequacy I feel as a white woman doing race equity work. Cultivating Inner Well-being is foundational to each of the practices in the Self Window because without it you are not able to truly deepen your Sense of Identity, practice Conscious Communication, and support Radical Self-Love. All of these help me show up in my work and in partnership with BIPOC and White colleagues everyday.

When you begin to work with these practices, I encourage you to think of Inner Well-being as the outer frame and internal support of your Self Window and to use it to get back up from those fumbles and continue the work.
*We encourage you to check out Ericka's new Black Womxn Thriving research fund. Invest in Equity and Leadership
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Why Inner Well-being is Foundational to Race Equity Work - ProInspire

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By: Kate Loving, Manager In our last update back in May, ProInspire Director Bianca Anderson discussed our strategic shift from competencies to leadership practices to build inclusive work environments. Feedback from partners and advisors helped us focus on how and why leadership practices can be a ...

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An often daunting aspect of navigating the world of higher education and social justice is attempting to keep up with the ever-changing terminology. We're committed to the work of being constant learners (and unlearners) - recognizing social justice is a process and goal . But as we work to maintain pace with changing structures and semantics, we must remain both critical and thoughtful in our follow through.

In recent years, we've seen the intentional shift within student and academic affairs to advocate for creating spaces over spaces. There is an arguable difference, considering the implications of each term:

A is ideally one that doesn't incite judgment based on identity or experience - where the expression of both can exist and be affirmed without fear of repercussion and without the pressure to educate. While learning may occur in these spaces, the ultimate goal is to provide support.

A brave space encourages dialogue. Recognizing difference and holding each person accountable to do the work of sharing experiences and coming to new understandings - a feat that's often hard, and typically uncomfortable .

We'd be remiss to simply hear the new term brave space and throw the old one out like a mistake we'd like to quickly forget. The reality is: they're different spaces, providing different outcomes. And on alternative breaks, we should be balancing both.

Expecting people to only expose their identity and face what may be traumatic for the sake of their own progress (and more often, the progress of others) is unfair, and a poor practice. But on the flipside - for an authentic and impactful experience - there's a level of discomfort and vulnerability that is necessary. Here, the facilitator plays an important role: to 1) preemptively the experience of participants, and 2) understand how to both safe brave spaces to validate challenge one another.

With that in mind, recall the last time you were in a space where you felt both supported challenged - where you were both teaching learning? What did it take to create that experience and how can you do it (or do it better) for others?

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Do We Need Safe or Brave Spaces? - Break Away

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An often daunting aspect of navigating the world of higher education and social justice is attempting to keep up with the ever-changing terminology. We're committed to the work of being constant learners (and unlearners) - recognizing social justice is a process and goal .