implicit bias

by Naeemah Jackson, Director of Family Programs These days, the word “tribalism” is front and center in our social discourse.  You and I can easily choose a tribe that defines our collective identity when we move from “I” and “Me” to “Us” and “We.”   So, who are we?  And where do we belong?  Do we change our value set once we gain entry into the tribe?  Or, do we maintain the “I” am within the tribe? Recently I had the great good fortune to facilitate an Implicit Bias session in a northern Indiana rural community.  The fifty participants were members of that community; majority White men in their 50’s, 60’s and a few in their 70’s; blue-collar workers; hunters; campers; and fishermen; with shotguns in their trucks outside.  I was the only Black person in the room.  Now, I could have easily slid into a presumptive attitude that it would be difficult to establish a sense of common beliefs with this audience around family values; politics; socio-economic status; class; work ethic; and assume what their ideas on race, gender, and other social justice concerns were.  It would have been very easy – and very wrong. There I was, standing before them, locks and all – proudly wearing West African inspired jewelry – looking at them – looking at me.  Most not really wanting to be there – but they had to be.  So……here we go. Their tribal identity was