Moving Beyond Implicit Bias | Lisa Johnson | TEDxLewisUniversity

Summary

The speaker shares a personal journey of confronting and overcoming unconscious bias, sparked by an incident at an airport. Growing up in a diverse environment, the speaker initially felt no sense of exclusion. However, negative travel experiences led to adopting a defensive travel demeanor, avoiding social interaction to prevent potential bias encounters. A pivotal moment came when the speaker realized their own bias was causing them to reject genuine connections with others. This realization prompted a change in behavior, accepting invitations and engaging more openly with people from different cultures. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of setting a good example to move beyond bias and fostering understanding and acceptance.

Takeaways

• 💡 We all have unconscious biases that conflict with our conscious values, often without realizing it.
• ✈️ The speaker shares a personal experience at an airport where she encountered bias and felt marginalized, highlighting the emotional impact of such moments.
• 🧠 Unconscious bias can develop early in life, but the speaker did not experience it until she began traveling and noticed it in professional environments.
• 👀 To avoid conflict, the speaker adopted a strategy of isolation during travel, using headphones and books as shields to protect herself from potential bias.
• 🌍 A career opportunity for global travel led the speaker to reconsider her defensive habits and face the possibility of encountering racial prejudice abroad.
• 🎯 After reflecting on her own biases, the speaker realized she had been rejecting meaningful social invitations due to her unconscious fears.
• 🤝 She decided to make a conscious effort to change, accepting invitations and forming deeper relationships with people from different cultures.
• 👁 The speaker started re-engaging with the world, making eye contact and allowing herself to connect with others, rather than using her defenses.
• 🔁 While negative experiences still occur, the speaker strives to take the high road, not allowing a few bad encounters to shape her view of others.
• 🏆 Setting a good example and continuously educating others through actions is key to overcoming unconscious bias and fostering understanding.

Q & A

What is unconscious or implicit bias?

Unconscious or implicit bias refers to the automatic, subconscious beliefs or attitudes we hold about different groups that may not align with our conscious values.

How did the speaker experience bias during their travel at the airport?

The speaker was in line to board a first-class flight when a man confidently placed his boarding pass over hers, disregarding her presence. This action triggered feelings of bias, particularly as she was the only Black person in line.

What past experiences influenced the speaker's reaction to the man at the airport?

The speaker's reaction was influenced by stories her parents shared about civil rights and segregation, which caused her to perceive the man's action as a deeper insult tied to racial inequality.

What conflict did the speaker face during her travels, and how did she handle it?

The speaker often felt a conflict between staying engaged with others and avoiding potential confrontations due to bias. To cope, she adopted a strategy of conflict avoidance by avoiding eye contact and engaging minimally with people during travel.

What changed the speaker’s travel experience from enjoyment to avoidance?

The speaker shifted from being a curious and engaging traveler to avoiding interactions due to her experiences with implicit bias, especially when flying with higher boarding groups and interacting with certain men.

What was the turning point for the speaker’s journey in overcoming her own unconscious bias?

The turning point came when the speaker realized she was declining invitations from colleagues and avoiding social connections due to her own unconscious bias. This moment of self-awareness led her to decide to make changes.

How did the speaker decide to change her behavior after realizing her own unconscious bias?

The speaker decided to start accepting invitations, extending invitations to others, making eye contact, and re-engaging with people during her travels instead of using protective barriers like headphones and books.

What role does emotion play in managing unconscious bias, according to the speaker?

The speaker believes that emotions, including negative ones like regret, need to be acknowledged, managed, and then used to make positive changes. For her, regret over missed opportunities drove her to change her behavior.

What lesson does the speaker emphasize regarding interactions and unconscious bias?

The speaker emphasizes that by our behaviors and actions, we are always educating others. We can either reinforce someone’s unconscious bias or challenge it by showing them something different.

How did the speaker handle the situation with the man at the airport after he tried to board ahead of her?

The speaker stayed calm, allowing the gate attendant to resolve the situation by confirming that she belonged in the first-class boarding group as well. The man left without a word, and she proceeded to board.