Season 2 - Episode 9: The Relationship Between Bias and Systemic Racism

When the “New North America” was established, it was clear that black people were not human or equal to white people, even after the civil rights movement. Consequently the architects of society had a non-inclusive cultural standard to adhere to when developing our society.

This is where bias comes in. When power and bais marry, they produce systemic racism. All of the systems of our society were built by white men. Our criminal justice system, employment system, housing system, health care system, political system, education system, etc... Even well intentioned folks have built systems that exclude the interest of all that weren’t granted a seat at the table. The side effect being all of the infamous ISMs and phobias.

Institutional racism, also known as systemic racism, is a form of racism that is embedded as normal practice within society or an organization. It can lead to such issues as discrimination in criminal justice, employment, housing, health care, political power, and education, among other issues.

We are currently experiencing another moment, where the issues of race and injustices are visible enough for everyone to pay attention. The key being everyone. People of color experience it every day. While not all are a visible and clear as the murder of George Floyd, they show up in a way that steals peace and joy from not only those who experience racial acts directly but all of us.

Our guest today is a wonderful and accomplished human being and he is also a gentleman. Howard Ross, is the author of ReInventing Diversity: Transforming Organizational Community to Strengthen People, Purpose and Performance, (published by Rowman and Littlefield in conjunction with SHRM in 2011), and the Washington Post best seller, Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives, (published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2014). His latest book, Our Search for Belonging: How Our Need to Connect is Tearing Us Apart, was released by Berrett-Koehler in May of 2018.

On this episode of The Delicious Truth, Howard helps us understand the real danger in bias and how we can recognize it, own and manage it. You don’t want to miss this.