Perhaps the only thing worse than being in the presence of racism is discovering that—despite your high opinion of your self—you might be guilty of it. All of us everywhere have some level of racial bias—even if not racial hostility—it is present in everybody. The Implicit Association Test is designed to reveal different kinds of biases—gender, race, body type and more. Law enforcement officers particularly need to understand that they may have a hidden bias toward a certain group in order to effectively deal with that group during a high stress situation. If you’re conscious of your biases, you can find ways to prevent them from intruding on your actions. I know this will not be a panacea for the current spate of police officer shootings, but it may be a step in the right direction.
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