facing race, facing our humanity

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Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity Andrew Grant-Thomas Deputy Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity Ohio Council of Churches 2011 Ohio Ministries Convocation - “Faith and Race: New Opportunities” January 24-25, 2011 Crowne Plaza, Columbus North Hotel

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Page 1: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

Andrew Grant-ThomasDeputy Director, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity

Ohio Council of Churches2011 Ohio Ministries Convocation - “Faith and Race: New Opportunities”January 24-25, 2011 Crowne Plaza, Columbus North Hotel

Page 2: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

The Dancing Girl Illusion

2http://www.moillusions.com/2007/06/spinning-sihouette-optical-illusion.html

Page 3: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

Awareness Test

3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrqrkihlw-s

Page 4: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

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Our Unconscious Networks

• What colors are the following lines of text?

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Our Unconscious Networks

• What colors are the following lines of text?

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Our Unconscious Networks

• What colors are the following lines of text?

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Our Unconscious Networks

• What colors are the following lines of text?

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Our Unconscious Networks

• What colors are the following lines of text?

Page 9: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

Whoa!

Page 10: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

European American

Say “Left”

African American

Say “Right”

Implicit Association Test – Part 1 (abbreviated)

10

Page 11: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

Badwords

Say “Left”

Goodwords

Say “Right”

Implicit Association Test – Part 2 (abbreviated)

11

Page 12: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

European American or Bad words

Say “Left”

African American or Good words

Say “Right”

Implicit Association Test – Part 3 (abbreviated)

12

Page 13: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

African American - European American IAT

27%

27%

16%

17%

6%

4%

2%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Strong preference for Whites

Moderate preference for Whites

Slight preference for Whites

Little to no preference

Slight preference for Blacks

Moderate preference for Blacks

Strong preference for Blacks

N = 732,881 13

Page 14: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

Light Skin – Dark Skin IAT

27%

27%

16%

17%

6%

4%

2%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Strong preference for light skin

Moderate preference for light skin

Slight preference for light skin

Little to no preference

Slight preference for dark skin

Moderate preference for dark skin

Strong preference for dark skin

N = 122,988 14

Page 15: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

Fat – Thin IAT

25%

27%

18%

19%

7%

4%

1%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Strong preference for thin people

Moderate preference for thin people

Slight preference for thin people

Little to no preference

Slight preference for fat people

Moderate preference for fat people

Strong preference for fat people

http://implicit.harvard.eduN = 199,329 15

Page 16: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

“Maleness” – Career IAT

24%

32%

20%

17%

4%

2%

0%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Strong association of Male with Career

Moderate association of Male with Career

Slight association of Male with Career

Little to no preference

Slight association of Male with Family

Moderate association of Male with Family

Strong association of Male with Family

N = 83,084 http://implicit.harvard.edu16

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What Would You Do?

17

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Some behavioral implications

• In “shooter game,” mistakes follow clear pattern: people shoot more unarmed blacks and fail to shoot armed whites

• Doctors’ implicit racial attitudes unequal treatment for Latinos and Blacks compared to Whites

• Resumes with “white-sounding” names (Emily, Greg, Jill, Todd) receive 50% more call-backs than those with “black-sounding” (Jamaal, Latoya, Tyrone, Lakesha) names.

• Neighborhoods with White-only residents evaluated much more favorably than same neighborhoods with black residents or racially mixed residents

• More or less implicit bias corresponds to comfort level and body language in interracial interactions

“Emergency Treatment May Only Be Skin Deep.” Science Daily 11 Aug. 2007 18

Page 19: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

Possible interventions

• Talk about race When we don’t talk about race, our unconscious/

hidden ways of thinking can operate without the “discipline” of our fairer explicit frames. Give your “better angels” a chance!

The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World. By the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler. (2009). p. 70 19

Page 20: Facing Race, Facing Our Humanity

% Hispanic in Ohio

1990

2007http://www.socialexplorer.com/pub/maps/map3.aspx?g=0 20

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% Foreign born in Ohio

http://www.socialexplorer.com/pub/maps/map3.aspx?g=0

1990

200721

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Concluding Thoughts

• We unconsciously think about race even when we do not explicitly discuss it.

• We probably hold racial/ethnic biases even when our explicit attitudes are sincerely egalitarian

• You can’t avoid bias by avoidingrace; it does not work

• Conversations about race are not easy, but they are vital.

Source: Lester, Julius. Let’s Talk About Race 22

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KirwanInstituteon:

www.race-talk.org