January 2022 BLOG POST 
Confronting Implicit Racial Biases

by Jeenah Gwak

Experience. Reflection. Perception. Predisposition. Bias.

These five words, put together, illustrate the process of bias formation. As humans, we build from our experiences that lead us to reflect upon the situation, which shapes our perception. At this point, we hold a predisposition to experiences similar to our own. We have now formed a bias, solely from our encounters and experiences.

I’ve had many interesting conversations about how biases shape our personal perceptions of society. One that especially stood out for me was a conversation about natural racism. We discussed the influences of the surrounding environment on our personal beliefs and experiences, as well as the nature of confronting biases. Why are individuals so unwilling to acknowledge their discriminatory beliefs? What shapes their perceptions of other races and cultures?