Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
by June Reinert, DEI Chair

At the December, 2022, meeting, a member of the DEI Committee, Carlene Roberts, gave a short presentation on Unconscious Bias and involved the members in a hands-on activity.

Definition of Unconscious Bias

• not marked by conscious thought, sensation, or feeling
• not knowing or perceiving: not aware
• not consciously held or deliberately planned or carried out

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Definition of Bias – an inclination of temperament or outlook especially a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment; prejudice

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

We all know what overt biases are, but did you know that we all have unconscious biases, too? These are biases that might be inconsistent with our values, that we would never know- ingly act on and that we weren’t even aware we had. And hav- ing them doesn’t make us racist or sexist or homophobic. Still, becoming aware of them is the first step to ridding ourselves of them. So, let’s understand more about unconscious bias.

The easiest way to understand unconscious bias is figure out why it happens. At any given, moment we are bombarded with lots of different information, but our brains can only process a fraction of that information at once. So, to help us try and make sense of the world around us, our brain uses short cuts. Those short cuts are shaped and informed by our experiences. But, because sometimes the things we need to make sense of are unfamiliar, bias can enter the picture.

So, what can you do?
1. Self-awareness is the first step
2. Create safe spaces to have open discussions about the biases you have
3. Increase your contact with people who are dissimilar
4. Set realistic expectations

We’re not going to be able to change our unconscious mind over night, but with hard work and dedication, we can make progress. Only when we confront our biases are we able to truly recognize the value diversity brings to an organization like AAUW. It’s important for our continued growth and sustainability as an organization to make a concerted effort to be inclusive and create spaces where everyone feels welcome.

Carlene asked us to take the list of characteristics on the worksheet and react with our feelings toward persons with different characteristics. e.g., gender identity, immigration status, skin color, etc.

One of the instruments used to look at some of our possible unconscious biases is the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The test measures attitudes and beliefs that people may be unwilling or unable to report. The IAT may be especially interesting if it shows that you have an implicit attitude that you did not know about. Please visit https://www.projectimplicit.net to learn more about the programs. This site is free and there are no advertisements.