How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them
-
0:01 - 0:03I was on a long road trip this summer,
-
0:03 - 0:06and I was having
a wonderful time listening -
0:06 - 0:11to the amazing Isabel Wilkerson's
"The Warmth of Other Suns." -
0:11 - 0:21It documents six million black folks
fleeing the South from 1915 to 1970 -
0:21 - 0:24looking for a respite
from all the brutality -
0:24 - 0:28and trying to get to a better
opportunity up North, -
0:28 - 0:32and it was filled with stories
of the resilience and the brilliance -
0:32 - 0:34of African-Americans,
-
0:34 - 0:39and it was also really hard to hear
all the stories of the horrors -
0:39 - 0:43
and the humility,
and all the humiliations. -
0:44 - 0:49It was especially hard to hear
about the beatings and the burnings -
0:49 - 0:51and the lynchings of black men.
-
0:51 - 0:55And I said, "You know,
this is a little deep. -
0:55 - 0:59I need a break. I'm going
to turn on the radio." -
0:59 - 1:02I turned it on, and there it was:
-
1:02 - 1:04Ferguson, Missouri,
-
1:04 - 1:06Michael Brown,
-
1:06 - 1:0918-year-old black man,
-
1:09 - 1:15unarmed, shot by a white police officer,
laid on the ground dead, -
1:15 - 1:18blood running for four hours
-
1:18 - 1:23while his grandmother and little children
and his neighbors watched in horror, -
1:23 - 1:25and I thought,
-
1:26 - 1:29here it is again.
-
1:29 - 1:33This violence, this brutality
against black men -
1:33 - 1:36has been going on for centuries.
-
1:36 - 1:40I mean, it's the same story.
It's just different names. -
1:40 - 1:44It could have been Amadou Diallo.
-
1:44 - 1:47It could have been Sean Bell.
-
1:47 - 1:50It could have been Oscar Grant.
-
1:50 - 1:53It could have been Trayvon Martin.
-
1:54 - 1:57This violence, this brutality,
-
1:57 - 2:00is really something that's part
of our national psyche. -
2:00 - 2:03It's part of our collective history.
-
2:03 - 2:07What are we going to do about it?
-
2:07 - 2:12You know that part of us that still
crosses the street, -
2:13 - 2:15locks the doors,
-
2:15 - 2:17clutches the purses,
-
2:17 - 2:20when we see young black men?
-
2:20 - 2:22That part.
-
2:22 - 2:26I mean, I know we're not
shooting people down in the street, -
2:26 - 2:30but I'm saying that the same
stereotypes and prejudices -
2:30 - 2:33that fuel those kinds of tragic incidents
-
2:33 - 2:35are in us.
-
2:35 - 2:39We've been schooled in them as well.
-
2:39 - 2:46I believe that we can stop
these types of incidents, -
2:46 - 2:49these Fergusons from happening,
-
2:49 - 2:54by looking within
and being willing to change ourselves. -
2:54 - 2:57So I have a call to action for you.
-
2:57 - 3:01There are three things that I want
to offer us today to think about -
3:01 - 3:07as ways to stop Ferguson
from happening again; -
3:07 - 3:09three things that I think will help us
-
3:09 - 3:12reform our images of young black men;
-
3:12 - 3:17three things that I'm hoping
will not only protect them -
3:17 - 3:21but will open the world
so that they can thrive. -
3:21 - 3:23Can you imagine that?
-
3:23 - 3:28Can you imagine our country
embracing young black men, -
3:28 - 3:33seeing them as part of our future,
giving them that kind of openness, -
3:33 - 3:37that kind of grace we give
to people we love? -
3:37 - 3:41How much better would our lives be?
How much better would our country be? -
3:41 - 3:44Let me just start with number one.
-
3:44 - 3:47We gotta get out of denial.
-
3:49 - 3:51Stop trying to be good people.
-
3:51 - 3:54We need real people.
-
3:54 - 3:55You know, I do a lot of diversity work,
-
3:55 - 3:58and people will come up to me
at the beginning of the workshop. -
3:58 - 4:02They're like, "Oh, Ms. Diversity Lady,
we're so glad you're here" -- -
4:02 - 4:04(Laughter) --
-
4:04 - 4:07"but we don't have a biased bone
in our body." -
4:07 - 4:09And I'm like, "Really?
-
4:09 - 4:13Because I do this work every day,
and I see all my biases." -
4:13 - 4:17I mean, not too long ago, I was on a plane
-
4:17 - 4:21and I heard the voice of a woman
pilot coming over the P.A. system, -
4:21 - 4:23and I was just so excited, so thrilled.
-
4:23 - 4:26I was like, "Yes, women,
we are rocking it. -
4:26 - 4:28We are now in the stratosphere."
-
4:28 - 4:31It was all good, and then it started
getting turbulent and bumpy, -
4:31 - 4:33and I was like,
-
4:33 - 4:35"I hope she can drive."
-
4:35 - 4:37(Laughter)
-
4:37 - 4:38I know. Right.
-
4:38 - 4:40But it's not even like
I knew that was a bias -
4:40 - 4:44until I was coming back on the other leg
and there's always a guy driving -
4:44 - 4:45and it's often turbulent and bumpy,
-
4:45 - 4:48and I've never questioned
the confidence of the male driver. -
4:48 - 4:50The pilot is good.
-
4:50 - 4:53Now, here's the problem.
-
4:53 - 5:00If you ask me explicitly,
I would say, "Female pilot: awesome." -
5:00 - 5:05But it appears that when things get funky
and a little troublesome, a little risky, -
5:05 - 5:09I lean on a bias that I didn't
even know that I had. -
5:09 - 5:11You know, fast-moving planes in the sky,
-
5:11 - 5:13I want a guy.
-
5:13 - 5:16That's my default.
-
5:16 - 5:18Men are my default.
-
5:18 - 5:21Who is your default?
-
5:21 - 5:23Who do you trust?
-
5:23 - 5:25Who are you afraid of?
-
5:25 - 5:29Who do you implicitly feel connected to?
-
5:29 - 5:32Who do you run away from?
-
5:32 - 5:34I'm going to tell you
what we have learned. -
5:34 - 5:40The implicit association test,
which measures unconscious bias, -
5:40 - 5:41you can go online and take it.
-
5:41 - 5:44Five million people have taken it.
-
5:44 - 5:50Turns out, our default is white.
We like white people. -
5:50 - 5:52We prefer white. What do I mean by that?
-
5:52 - 5:58When people are shown images
of black men and white men, -
5:58 - 6:02we are more quickly able to associate
-
6:02 - 6:06that picture with a positive word,
that white person with a positive word, -
6:06 - 6:08than we are when we are
trying to associate -
6:08 - 6:12positive with a black face,
and vice versa. -
6:12 - 6:14When we see a black face,
-
6:14 - 6:20it is easier for us to connect
black with negative -
6:20 - 6:22than it is white with negative.
-
6:22 - 6:27Seventy percent of white people
taking that test prefer white. -
6:29 - 6:34Fifty percent of black people
taking that test prefer white. -
6:34 - 6:39You see, we were all outside
when the contamination came down. -
6:39 - 6:46What do we do about the fact
that our brain automatically associates? -
6:46 - 6:51You know, one of the things
that you probably are thinking about, -
6:51 - 6:53and you're probably like, you know what,
-
6:53 - 6:57I'm just going to double down
on my color blindness. -
6:57 - 6:59Yes, I'm going to recommit to that.
-
6:59 - 7:01I'm going to suggest to you, no.
-
7:01 - 7:04We've gone about as far as we can go
trying to make a difference -
7:04 - 7:05trying to not see color.
-
7:05 - 7:10The problem was never that we saw color.
It was what we did when we saw the color. -
7:10 - 7:14It's a false ideal.
-
7:14 - 7:17And while we're busy
pretending not to see, -
7:17 - 7:21we are not being aware of the ways
in which racial difference -
7:21 - 7:26is changing people's possibilities,
that's keeping them from thriving, -
7:26 - 7:31and sometimes it's causing them
an early death. -
7:31 - 7:37So in fact, what the scientists
are telling us is, no way. -
7:37 - 7:39Don't even think about color blindness.
-
7:39 - 7:42In fact, what they're suggesting is,
-
7:42 - 7:46stare at awesome black people.
-
7:46 - 7:48(Laughter)
-
7:48 - 7:53Look at them directly in their faces
and memorize them, -
7:53 - 7:58because when we look
at awesome folks who are black, -
7:58 - 8:01it helps to dissociate
-
8:01 - 8:06the association that happens
automatically in our brain. -
8:06 - 8:12Why do you think I'm showing you
these beautiful black men behind me? -
8:12 - 8:15There were so many, I had to cut them.
-
8:15 - 8:16Okay, so here's the thing:
-
8:16 - 8:22I'm trying to reset your automatic
associations about who black men are. -
8:22 - 8:25I'm trying to remind you
-
8:25 - 8:30that young black men
grow up to be amazing human beings -
8:30 - 8:35who have changed our lives
and made them better. -
8:35 - 8:38So here's the thing.
-
8:38 - 8:40The other possibility in science,
-
8:40 - 8:43and it's only temporarily changing
our automatic assumptions, -
8:43 - 8:46but one thing we know
-
8:46 - 8:51is that if you take a white person
who is odious that you know, -
8:51 - 8:54and stick it up next to a person of color,
-
8:54 - 8:56a black person, who is fabulous,
-
8:56 - 9:00then that sometimes actually
causes us to disassociate too. -
9:00 - 9:05So think Jeffrey Dahmer and Colin Powell.
-
9:05 - 9:07Just stare at them, right? (Laughter)
-
9:07 - 9:10But these are the things.
So go looking for your bias. -
9:10 - 9:14Please, please, just get out of denial
and go looking for disconfirming data -
9:14 - 9:19that will prove that in fact
your old stereotypes are wrong. -
9:19 - 9:21Okay, so that's number one: number two,
-
9:21 - 9:25what I'm going to say is move toward
young black men instead of away from them. -
9:25 - 9:28It's not the hardest thing to do,
-
9:28 - 9:32but it's also one of these things
-
9:32 - 9:35where you have to be conscious
and intentional about it. -
9:35 - 9:38You know, I was in a Wall Street area
one time several years ago -
9:38 - 9:41when I was with a colleague of mine,
and she's really wonderful -
9:41 - 9:45and she does diversity work with me
and she's a woman of color, she's Korean. -
9:45 - 9:47And we were outside,
it was late at night, -
9:47 - 9:50and we were sort of wondering where
we were going, we were lost. -
9:50 - 9:54And I saw this person across the street,
and I was thinking, "Oh great, black guy." -
9:54 - 9:57I was going toward him
without even thinking about it. -
9:57 - 10:00And she was like,
"Oh, that's interesting." -
10:00 - 10:03The guy across the street,
he was a black guy. -
10:03 - 10:07I think black guys generally
know where they're going. -
10:07 - 10:11I don't know why exactly I think that,
but that's what I think. -
10:11 - 10:16So she was saying, "Oh, you
were going, 'Yay, a black guy'?" -
10:16 - 10:19She said, "I was going,
'Ooh, a black guy.'" -
10:19 - 10:22Other direction. Same need,
same guy, same clothes, -
10:22 - 10:26same time, same street,
different reaction. -
10:26 - 10:28And she said, "I feel so bad.
I'm a diversity consultant. -
10:28 - 10:31I did the black guy thing.
I'm a woman of color. Oh my God!" -
10:31 - 10:35And I said, "You know what? Please.
We really need to relax about this." -
10:35 - 10:39I mean, you've got to realize
I go way back with black guys. -
10:39 - 10:42(Laughter)
-
10:42 - 10:45My dad is a black guy.
You see what I'm saying? -
10:45 - 10:49I've got a 6'5" black guy son.
I was married to a black guy. -
10:49 - 10:51My black guy thing
is so wide and so deep -
10:51 - 10:56that I can pretty much sort
and figure out who that black guy is, -
10:56 - 10:58and he was my black guy.
-
10:58 - 11:02He said, "Yes, ladies, I know
where you're going. I'll take you there." -
11:02 - 11:05You know, biases are the stories
we make up about people -
11:05 - 11:08before we know who they actually are.
-
11:08 - 11:11But how are we going to know who they are
-
11:11 - 11:14when we've been told to avoid
and be afraid of them? -
11:14 - 11:19So I'm going to tell you
to walk toward your discomfort. -
11:19 - 11:23And I'm not asking you
to take any crazy risks. -
11:23 - 11:27I'm saying, just do an inventory,
-
11:27 - 11:31expand your social
and professional circles. -
11:31 - 11:33Who's in your circle?
-
11:33 - 11:35Who's missing?
-
11:36 - 11:40How many authentic relationships
-
11:40 - 11:46do you have with young black people,
folks, men, women? -
11:46 - 11:50Or any other major difference
from who you are -
11:50 - 11:53and how you roll, so to speak?
-
11:53 - 11:56Because, you know what?
Just look around your periphery. -
11:56 - 11:59There may be somebody at work,
in your classroom, -
11:59 - 12:02in your house of worship, somewhere,
there's some black young guy there. -
12:02 - 12:03And you're nice. You say hi.
-
12:03 - 12:10I'm saying go deeper, closer, further,
and build the kinds of relationships, -
12:10 - 12:15the kinds of friendships that actually
cause you to see the holistic person -
12:15 - 12:19and to really go against the stereotypes.
-
12:19 - 12:20I know some of you are out there,
-
12:20 - 12:23
I know because I have some white
friends in particular that will say, -
12:23 - 12:25"You have no idea how awkward I am.
-
12:25 - 12:28Like, I don't think this
is going to work for me. -
12:28 - 12:30I'm sure I'm going to blow this."
-
12:30 - 12:36Okay, maybe, but this thing is not
about perfection. It's about connection. -
12:36 - 12:41And you're not going to get comfortable
before you get uncomfortable. -
12:41 - 12:43I mean, you just have to do it.
-
12:43 - 12:45And young black men, what I'm saying is
-
12:45 - 12:50if someone comes your way, genuinely
and authentically, take the invitation. -
12:50 - 12:52Not everyone is out to get you.
-
12:52 - 12:57Go looking for those people
who can see your humanity. -
12:57 - 13:00You know, it's the empathy
and the compassion -
13:00 - 13:05that comes out of having relationships
with people who are different from you. -
13:05 - 13:08Something really powerful
and beautiful happens: -
13:08 - 13:10you start to realize that they are you,
-
13:10 - 13:16that they are part of you,
that they are you in your family, -
13:16 - 13:19and then we cease to be bystanders
-
13:19 - 13:23and we become actors,
we become advocates, -
13:23 - 13:26and we become allies.
-
13:26 - 13:31So go away from your comfort
into a bigger, brighter thing, -
13:31 - 13:36because that is how we will stop
another Ferguson from happening. -
13:36 - 13:38That's how we create a community
-
13:38 - 13:41where everybody, especially
young black men, can thrive. -
13:41 - 13:44So this last thing is going to be harder,
-
13:44 - 13:47and I know it, but I'm just going
to put it out there anyway. -
13:47 - 13:52When we see something, we have to have
the courage to say something, -
13:52 - 13:56even to the people we love.
-
13:56 - 14:00You know, it's holidays
and it's going to be a time -
14:00 - 14:03when we're sitting around the table
and having a good time. -
14:03 - 14:05Many of us, anyways, will be in holidays,
-
14:05 - 14:10and you've got to listen to
the conversations around the table. -
14:10 - 14:17You start to say things like,
"Grandma's a bigot." -
14:17 - 14:19(Laughter)
-
14:19 - 14:22"Uncle Joe is racist."
-
14:22 - 14:26And you know, we love Grandma
and we love Uncle Joe. We do. -
14:26 - 14:32We know they're good people,
but what they're saying is wrong. -
14:33 - 14:39And we need to be able to say something,
because you know who else is at the table? -
14:40 - 14:43The children are at the table.
-
14:43 - 14:48And we wonder why these biases don't die,
and move from generation to generation? -
14:48 - 14:52Because we're not saying anything.
-
14:52 - 14:58We've got to be willing to say, "Grandma,
we don't call people that anymore." -
14:58 - 15:03"Uncle Joe, it isn't true
that he deserved that. -
15:03 - 15:06No one deserves that."
-
15:06 - 15:10And we've got to be willing
-
15:10 - 15:15to not shelter our children
from the ugliness of racism -
15:15 - 15:18when black parents don't
have the luxury to do so, -
15:18 - 15:23especially those who have
young black sons. -
15:23 - 15:26We've got to take
our lovely darlings, our future, -
15:26 - 15:34and we've got to tell them we have
an amazing country with incredible ideals, -
15:34 - 15:37we have worked incredibly hard,
and we have made some progress, -
15:37 - 15:40but we are not done.
-
15:40 - 15:44We still have in us this old stuff
-
15:44 - 15:47about superiority and it is causing us
-
15:47 - 15:50to embed those further
into our institutions -
15:50 - 15:52and our society and generations,
-
15:52 - 15:56and it is making for despair
-
15:56 - 16:03and disparities and a devastating
devaluing of young black men. -
16:03 - 16:06We still struggle, you have to tell them,
-
16:06 - 16:08with seeing both the color
-
16:08 - 16:12and the character of young black men,
-
16:12 - 16:16but that you, and you expect them,
-
16:16 - 16:20to be part of the forces of change
in this society -
16:20 - 16:27that will stand against injustice
and is willing, above all other things, -
16:27 - 16:36to make a society where young black men
can be seen for all of who they are. -
16:37 - 16:42So many amazing black men,
-
16:42 - 16:50those who are the most amazing
statesmen that have ever lived, -
16:50 - 16:53brave soldiers,
-
16:53 - 16:57awesome, hardworking laborers.
-
16:57 - 17:02These are people who
are powerful preachers. -
17:02 - 17:08They are incredible scientists
and artists and writers. -
17:08 - 17:12They are dynamic comedians.
-
17:12 - 17:16They are doting grandpas,
-
17:16 - 17:19caring sons.
-
17:19 - 17:24They are strong fathers,
-
17:24 - 17:29and they are young men
with dreams of their own. -
17:29 - 17:32Thank you.
-
17:32 - 17:36(Applause)
- Title:
- How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them
- Speaker:
- Verna Myers
- Description:
-
Our biases can be dangerous, even deadly — as we've seen in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner, in Staten Island, New York. Diversity advocate Verna Myers looks closely at some of the subconscious attitudes we hold toward out-groups. She makes a plea to all people: Acknowledge your biases. Then move toward, not away from, the groups that make you uncomfortable. In a funny, impassioned, important talk, she shows us how.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 17:49
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