Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do

The last four chapters expand Eberhardt’s analysis from law enforcement to other aspects of American life. In Chapter 7, the issue of segregation in housing is addressed as a result of stereotypes and the ways in which they both consciously and subconsciously influence human decisions. Bias affects how people perceive the physical conditions of homes and the safety of neighborhoods. These stereotypes persist for both white and Black home buyers. These attitudes can also connect the people to the perceived judgments about their spaces, leaving people of color and immigrants vulnerable to wrongful judgments and actions. It can even affect how people view homeless individuals. When humans look at another person, the neurons in the prefrontal cortex fire vigorously; however, studies show that when people look at a homeless person, their brains are unresponsive, rendering the individual invisible. By failing to see people or by seeing them through a slanted light, humans devalue and dehumanize those around them.

Eberhardt connects modern day issues with historical accounts and personal stories, showing the roots of racism. She reveals how the bias which influenced violent portions of history, such as slavery and lynch mobs, still impacts the world in equally sinister ways. For example, the Nextdoor app allows neighbors to report on suspicious activity and people; when Eberhardt spoke with the company, they shared how upset they were to find that their app was becoming a tool for stereotyping and racial profiling, putting innocent people in danger. Just as Eberhardt was able to help train law enforcement officers to slow down and ask questions to help minimize bias, she was able to consult with Nextdoor to require users to slow down and think about their own biases before reporting suspicious activity.

Awareness and training reveal themselves to be instrumental parts in combating bias. In Chapter 8, Eberhardt explores the nuances of education and how implicit bias has trickled down from days of deep segregation. It reveals itself in complex ways—through dress codes and discipline, feedback, and treatment. Even segregation still persists as an ongoing issue in education; the lines of the maps drawn from the beginning still determine where students attend school, and charter schools present a new threat as “predominantly white charter enclaves are sprouting in mixed neighborhoods” (209). Research reveals how teachers may treat Black students differently from white students as a result of their biases, and it also shows how feedback can be a powerful tool for the success of marginalized students that have been made to feel that they are not smart enough of skilled enough to achieve. Instead of advocating for color blindness, which can also cause blindness to discrimination, Eberhardt advocates for a kind of color focus, one which demands that individuals examine their own biases and think critically about the motivations beneath their most imperceptible actions.

Chapter 9 exposes what happens when we engage with color blindness and racial silence by detailing the events of the Unite the White Rally or, as Eberhardt refers to it, the Summer of Hate in University of Virginia. As she arrived in Charlottesville to speak to university students and those affected by the violence there, she had a conversation with a white, middle-aged taxi driver who asked her about her work. He revealed to her that he could feel something bubbling underneath the surface, a sense that he was being outnumbered, and that it made him feel as though there was “bigotry in his veins” (230). Social science reveals why the taxi driver felt this way; the fact that white people will become the minority by the middle of this century signals a threat in their brains that they are becoming the “others,” and, thereby, not as safe as they once were. The resentment which results leads to a rise in white nationalism. As Eberhardt listened to the stories and experiences of those who endured the Summer of Hate, she was met time and time again with the persisting idea that trying to combat racism by ignoring it was unsuccessful: “the strategy of turning a blind eye to bias has indeed failed to stem discrimination” (239).

In Chapter 10, she proposes a new approach: the awareness and training she references in earlier chapters. One of the most powerful ways to influence society is through money, and this chapter explores how racial profiling and implicit bias affects the employment industry and the choices that employers and corporations make about who they hire and how they conduct their businesses. In one study, identical resumes were sent out to businesses across the United States. The only differences between these resumes were that some were given stereotypical Black-sounding names and others were given stereotypical white-sounding names. Those with Black-sounding names were 50% less likely to receive a callback than those with white-sounding names. Even businesses which advertised affirmative action practices exhibited this bias.

The influence of bias extends beyond hiring practices. Black individuals are more likely to pay more for cars and services, more likely to be insulted by clerks, and more likely to be physically removed from places of business. The story of the two Black men who were arrested for sitting in a Starbucks and using the restroom while they waited for a friend before buying anything led to international attention and a resulting decision from the corporation to close its doors across the country to expose employees to implicit bias training. While these types of trainings can come with their own challenges and problems, Eberhardt advocates for action over complacency and for speaking up instead of remaining silent.