How it started. How it’s going.
I stopped for gas and ran into my bias.
Seven years ago I stopped for gas and ran into my bias, big time. There are two gas stations in my neighborhood. The bougie one and the not-so bougie one. I usually go to the former. But this time, I went to the latter. As I inserted the fuel nozzle into my Prius, I realized I was uneasy. What was going on?
I looked around. I was the only woman (the identity I held at the time). No one was looking at me or moving towards me. Stands to reason I was safe. Why did I feel uneasy? I looked around again and realized I was another only— I was the only white person. And with that realization came an onslaught of others:
If being the only white person at a gas station made me feek uneasy, did that mean I was racist?
Why was my body reacting when my mind knew I was safe?
Why was I the only white person at this gas station?
Were the white people in my neighborhood segregating ourselves when we got gasoline?
If so, were we segregating ourselves in other ways?
Some of the people at the gas station probably lived in the neighborhood too. Why didn’t I know them? Why didn’t they know me?
And the questions just kept coming.
I looked for answers in community building, social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), a Master’s degree in Organization Development and Knowledge Management, coaching and facilitation. With each of those lenses, I could give you a different set of answers. But I believe blog posts should be short and sweet, so we’ll just focus on one — IMPLICIT BIAS.
A quick primer. The human brain is very busy and is always looking for shortcuts. Those shortcuts are the reason that an advertising agency can make you associate McDonalds with family and Coca-Cola with being an American. The brain doesn’t want to start fresh with every encounter. So it uses inputs from your friends, family, experiences, media, etc. to predetermine what to expect. Most of the time that’s pretty useful. When one human encounters another, implicit bias will trigger thoughts and reactions so quickly you won’t be aware of them most of the time.
Think of my story. I knew I was uneasy before I figured out why I was uneasy. That’s implicit bias. It is part of how our brains work. We don’t need to feel bad about it. But until we are aware of it, we can’t be in control of our thoughts and actions. If you want to know more about implict bias, I have a few resources at the bottom of this post.
I am so grateful that on that day, seven years ago. Since then I have collected theories, frameworks, skills and tools to help both myself and others learn about ourselves and make progress towards becoming the people we want to be. I am getting a Master’s in Organization Development and Knowledge Management (ODKM) from George Mason University. I have earned two DEI executive certifications. I am a coach and a facilitator. I am launching my own business, The Practicing Practitioner.
As for getting gas, I frequently visit the gas station that introduced me to my bias. Every time I step out of my car, I am reminded of the many questions that first visit sparked for me. And I am grateful for all the tools and practice that have made me who I am today.
Implicit Bias Tools
Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell (highly recommend the Audiobook)