Black Lives Matter

Education and Position Articles
Written By Unconscious Bias Project
Enough is Enough - Black Lives Matter - from BLM

Enough is Enough - Black Lives Matter - from BLM

Americans are currently engaged in a sustained movement against the entirely precedented killing of another Black man, George Perry Floyd, Jr. In summer of 2020, we had a live broadcast and sent a list of resources to our mailing list regarding current events surrounding Black Lives Matter and justice for George Floyd. We’d like also to make clear our position here and how we can support the movement.

The Unconscious Bias Project supports the Black Lives Matter movement.

We support and engage in anti-racism. We unconditionally condemn police violence against Black people. We support activists advocating for justice for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and the entire unconscionably long list of Black people who have lost their lives due to police violence in what can only be described as state-sanctioned lynching.

This is a symptom of a much larger problem.

Police violence against, disproportionate arrests of, and disproportionate incarceration of Black people are only a few of the repercussions of slavery and of the colonialism that embedded oppression and white supremacy into the very foundation of today’s institutions, socioeconomic systems, and cultures. 

What does unconscious bias have anything to do with it? 

Unconscious bias is one of many symptoms and perpetrators of injustice. Unconscious bias is defined as unintentional discrimination (bias) against a person or group usually in a way considered to be unfair. Unconscious bias doesn’t magically appear, it is rooted in the same systems of oppression and white supremacy that influence everything we consume in our world and thus influence our own upbringing, thoughts, and actions. Unconscious bias and overt bias, such as intentional acts of racism, can manifest themselves in actions as subtle as shunning, damaging as a pay gap, unfair like discrimination when applying for housing, and as irreversible as a life lost. 

No one is immune to bias. 

This is why we teach persistence and long-term commitment to acting against bias. We teach that even if you are affected by bias in one or several aspects of your life, you could still benefit from these ingrained systems of oppression in others. For example, our Executive Director, Dr. Linet Mera, is a Latina woman and has been the subject of discrimination due to both these identities. She is also lighter skinned, able-bodied, cis-gender, and benefits from these factors, for example in job interviews and in interactions with law enforcement. They are not the only identities and factors at play in her life, but these serve to illustrate the issue.

If you haven’t started, join UBP in acting. 

At UBP, we know that committing to fight racism can take many forms and we encourage everyone to join in. At UBP we act against racism when we march, donate, call elected officials, sign petitions, vote, amplify voices of those affected, lift up solutions from those affected. We advocate for equitable and inclusive policies, use our workshops to teach evidence-based approaches for personal, interpersonal, and institutional bias, and we encourage people to become bias buddies (“real” allies), to learn from people different from us, to engage in bystander intervention, and to teach our children how to act. 

Black Lives DO Matter.

Black Lives Matter despite the fact that as a society, we are complicit in failing to protect, respect, recognize, and value Black lives. We recognize that by coming together to, without exception, support Black Lives Matter, the ultimate result uplifts and protects not just Black men, women, and children. In addition, enacting reform to eliminate police violence against Black people, engaging in anti-racism, and having nation-wide discussions and actions against racism will help more than just Black people. Why? Because working against systems of oppression and colonialism ultimately creates a more just and equitable society for ALL people experiencing oppression.

Sustainability

Lastly, we want to urge readers to see that the protests, the petitions, donating, voting, acting, advocacy, and learning are not a single moment but are part of a long-term commitment. We all must come to the table with every intention of sustaining engagement, action, and learning into all movements and in our daily lives. While there have been gains in justice for George Floyd, we need to continue demanding justice for every Black person killed and attack the roots of the problems with long term strategies in mind.

To this end, we have compiled a few resources:

If you are experiencing burnout/exhaustion: 

If you are a leader or work with Black colleagues, some reading around understanding your Black employees and colleagues at this time:

If you are protesting (articles & downloads):

If you want to support the movement:

Support Black Businesses:

There are parenting and educational resources:

If you are just starting your personal journey to understand systems of oppression, we recommend starting with the “support” list and follow with:

If you need help to talk to friends and family that don’t understand the protests:

We of course are happy to support you in this journey as UBP and there are many folks and resources out there who can help you. We recommend looking for ones that fit you and your needs the best.

Especially at this time, we encourage everyone to not ask Black folks for their help in your process, unless they are welcoming paid engagement requests. 

If you would like to contribute any other resources, please send them our way. 

We are with you, 

The UBP Team.

Unconscious Bias Project
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