Mrs. Funchess is a great speaker. She was easy to listen to, even though she was addressing a topic that is hard to talk about and is so long overdue. For a person with influence to speak to a child with all of that hate disturbs me. I know it exists but I don't know how to make it different. It is shameful to me, and I cannot pass the buck. Is is a problem with our society, and no one is innocent in this. My natural reaction is to overcompensate for the bad behavior of others, and this isn't the correct response. I DO know how it feels-discrimination. I have been treated 'less-than-equal' because I am white- and it hurts. To have the majority of people act this way would be difficult to fathom. I spent nearly 10 years living in Atlanta, GA. It is almost 700 miles from here, but it a different world when compared to Peoria. I love Atlanta. I won't state that it is an even playing field, but more people have opportunities; or maybe they are a little more evenly distributed across the color spectrum. A black child has more opportunity and many more role models to show that individual success is possible. They have a better chance of turning those dreams into realities. Problems do exist; they exist everywhere. I felt a little better; not as ashamed of myself. I existed in a better place and it may have eased my guilt. I grew up in a very small town. About 100 miles north of Peoria. My graduating class was about 80 students, and I grew up in the biggest city in Mercer County. We had one black student; when I lived in a larger city. Befor that, I didn't know what racism was. I had never been exposed to it, and I wasn't aware of it until I started college. When I became aware of it, I was ashamed. I couldn't relate to it, because I had never felt that kind of bias. I really didn't understand. I finished my first year of college and moved to Manhattan for several years, then Los Angeles, then to Phoenix, and then Atlanta. When I returned to Illinois, I began to reflect on how each city was different on the subject of racism. In all of the major cities I lived, people had a much different perspective on race. It wasn't until I returned to the mid-west that I realized how divided the races were. When I left Atlanta for Peoria, I had to 'set my clock back' about 20 years. It was so obvious- the difference between two cities that really are not that far away. It is changing, but it is not happening fast enough. I feel helpless and disgusted, knowing that people are treated so differently. People that have the same feelings and the same dreams. Disgusted because I don't seem to have any effect. My behavior, the behavior of one person, makes no difference because it affects so many people. How do we move forward? How do we find forgiveness for being so wrong? Maybe I don't know how to forgive myself for being complacent. OICU8 012
I agree that the woman in this video is a great speaker. Her life experiences were hard to hear. For any teacher to speak to any child the way the math teacher spoke to her is unforgivable. I did not grow up in a small town. I grew up in Peoria and my grade school and high school had about equal amounts of white students and African American students. I grew up with my peers being all different colors. We were cheerleaders together and went to parties together. I had a car and I picked up two of my girlfriends every morning to take them to school. One was African American and one was white. In a way I wasn't aware of prejudice either. Not because I wasn't exposed to African Americans but because being around people of different color was normal for me. I remember two of my friends, who happen to be African American, and me, I am white, would hug each other me being in the middle and we would laugh and call ourselves an Oreo cookie. We saw our different colors but it did not matter to us. I am glad I grew up that way. Hadrosaur012
OICU8-012 YOU SHOULDN'T FEEL BAD YOU DIDN'T KNOW BOUT RACISM IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT. IT WAS JUST WEE YOU GREW UP AT.KNOW THAT YOU NOW ABOUT IMPLICIT BIAS DO YOU FEEL AS YOU HAD IT AGAINST THAT ONE BLACK PERSON THAT WAS IN YOUR CLASS.I WASN'T REALLY EXPOSE TO PREJUDICE EITHER,I TREATED EVERYONE HAS THE SAME BECAUSE I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE WHITE.SHAYLAVON789
I also grew up in a very small community north of Peoria. We also only had one black family in a high school of about 300 people. However, i did know racism from a young age. I remember hearing slurs and people talking down on minorities. I still know people today that are like that. Thankfully i didnt come away with those same feelings, and I am able to see through someone's skin color and see what kind of person they are. I remember going to New York City a few years ago and feeling like a minority for the first time in my life. Even though i was a minority, i never felt like i was being looked down upon because New York is light years ahead of where we are in Peoria. It is sad, but we will get there eventually. Crown012
I grew up in a farm town and went to middle school in a barn. I remember that we had an African American girl in our class and everyone loved her. I did not know racism at a young age. Thankfully I grew up and was taught that its manners that make the man. Godzilla012
I grew up in Marquette Heights. Its a small town close to North Pekin. We did not really know racism because majority of the population where white people. However i was taught ot treat everyone as an equal. Extreme456
Hearing her stories about how she has personally suffered from other peoples biases is very sad, and no one should have to go through something like that because others are ignorant. The story about the guidance counselor was appalling. Some people may have dreams that are extremely difficult to obtain, but who are you to tell them no. You have just met this person and have no idea what they are made of. I really hope that something like this isn't the norm in our high schools. How are these kids supposed to make something of themselves if no one is willing to believe in them and show them what needs to be done to meet there goals. Crown012
I thought her stories where every interesting. At the end of the video it had me thinking that we all see or know some one that has different biases than we do our self's. We all through it in life because it's just the way the world is now. Generation's are becoming different now and we can try to change but everyone is different. BlackHawks012
I actually really loved her stories, they were terrible, but those situations clearly made her a stronger person. No one should have this kind of disrespect in their life. We should all be able to look at one another with respect and encouragement, not judgement. Marley012
I liked the speaker in this video. I thought she had a good message at the end. She reminded me of my friend's mom growing up. I did think the back ground of musical instruments was odd and I didn't know how they fit in. I thought maybe she would start playing at sometime. During the speakers first story, of the sick husband and his wife, I was picturing a white couple until she revealed why the only illness the doctors were looking for was HIV because the man was African American. I was shocked that I didn't think the couple was African American because the speaker was. I also automatically thought the doctors in this story were white men. I thought it was interesting that I would think that way. They could be African American, Asian, Indian, male, female, etc. I didn't like how the speaker said "white people". So often, especially in the media, the term "white people" tends to sound ugly and something to be ashamed of. I am white and I would never say "black people" in the negative way that I keep hearing about white people. I feel like it is a reverse prejudice in a way. I shouldn't be ashamed to be white. No one should be ashamed of their color. I know current events have put races against each other and I can see why there are prejudices. I won't lie and say I am without prejudice but I try not to let it get in the way of me getting to know someone. I have mix raced family members and friends. Not just African American and white but Philippine and white. I enjoy the diversity in my family. It makes me sad that color is such a barrier still today. I see less prejudice in me then I do in my parents and I definitely have less prejudice then my grandparents. At least in my experience, every generation has gotten better about acceptance. I hope my future children will grow up with even less. Hadrosaur012
I agree with you when mentioning the instruments that were behind her; I wasn't sure why they were there either. But I absolutely agree that no one should ever be ashamed of who they are (white, black, Asian, whatever it may be). Just like you said, I also imagined all of the people in her stories as being white until she said otherwise. I did think that she made very good points in her stories. They showed implicit bias even to the viewers. I also agree with you in saying that I would never use the term "black" in a negative way; it's just a way of identification. I don't use the term "African-American" simply because most of the black population didn't come from Africa; their ancestors did. My ancestors came from Europe but I don't expect to be called "European-American." I expect to be called white. Gators123
I feel like you may have a touch of an attention deficit disorder but you mad some pretty good remarks. It seems to me that what we as a whole country that has spent the last fifty some years trying to get away from racism as a whole, it seems to be morphing compared to erasing. Right after there was all that riot stuff in Baltimore and all those miss leading videos involving cops I started noticing there were people that are typically the victims becoming the perpetrators. That might have just been how I perceived it. TAGTaylor33012
This video was very interesting and one of the very few TedTalks videos I can stand to watch. I thought her situations were very interesting and well presented. I know that I’m not the only one who thought that the teacher and that the student were both white until Melanie said that the student was black. In addition to that, I know that I’m not the only one who thought that the husband and wife (and their children) were white as well as the doctors, until otherwise stated. I suppose this is implicit bias; we think the people are all white (or the race we’re most familiar with) unless we’re told differently.
However, I don’t think that, in the last scenario, the girl was told that she needs to look at something more realistic solely because she’s black. White people are put down just as often as black people. I firmly believe that we all need to help each other reach success, no matter our race, ethnicity, or gender. I’m a female so I know what it’s like to be told to go after what you want in life. But I’m white, so I also know what it’s like to be told no. It’s very unfair to those who genuinely want to succeed in life. Gators123
That is one thing I think can get misinterpreted quite a bit in talking about biases. A lot of the time people assume it is about racism when sometimes it can be just incompetence and arrogance. We can’t let someone who settled in their own life dictate to kids how to go past their imposed limitations on the way to their dreams, if the dreams are even slightly accessible.-Pasta012
Gators123, I made the same racial assumptions when watching the video. We all tend to view the world in our own shade and assume that everyone is black or white until told otherwise. I would further wager that everyone has experienced the sting of implicit biases to one extent or another. Even I, a while protestant male (a traditionally “favored” group), have experienced implicit biases turned against me. It’s part of being human. But, though recognizing and discussing our biases we can start to move toward a better, less biased, world! – Jung012
The difference between implicit bias and racist thoughts seem to be consistently confused if I understand it properly. I’ve heard people say to my face a mix of racial things just like what she was saying on purpose and without even knowing it. I’ve heard people say things like “It’s because their lazy” as well as “They just don’t care.” From what I can see and what I have experienced personally, it’s not always the case, and just using a blanket statement to describe an entire culture without acknowledging the whole of the situation doesn’t help with the understanding. So I feel that acknowledgement of implicit biases can prevent teaching old racist ideologies in a subvert manner and propagating old and outdated ways of thinking without the intention of doing so. I have heard true racist statements and there is a difference between implicit biases and racism, but it is our obligation to be more self-aware of our implicit biases to try and eliminate the place holders for these old racist stereotypes from our language. -Pasta012
I agree with this very much so. It is our duty and responsibility, whatever scenario it may be in, to try to be self-aware of ones own implicit bias in order to rid some of the racial stereotypes that are out there. If we notice them and keep them from being expressed in may also help discourage them from being passed on. Bullsnation012.
I thought this video was very eye opening and she was a great speaker. I can't say that i can relate to the video very well as i am a white male born into a middle class family (your "average American"). I also grew up in Washington which is around 90% white. I did experience racism, not towards myself but to those that were non-white. With so little people of color in my city some people are taken by surprise when they see someone different than them. on campus and around Peoria I see a lot of people who look different than me, but I always treat them as I would treat any other person. Of course, we all have bias' and sometimes they come out. This was one of the most interesting videos I have seen in a long time and it really opened my eyes.
The jump from high school to college was a little bit of culture shock. Going from a school with one or two African Americans to a college campus with tons of them is quite fascinating. I'm glad I am fortunate to be able to experience what its like to work with people who look differently from me. I found out that even though we look different on the outside we are the exact same on the inside. We are people just trying to get my and get a good education and we are all nice people. Godzilla789
I pretty much in the same situation you are from, white middle class male from a predominantly white town with racism and bias circulating around the community. Heck in high school some kid was wearing a confederate flag for a cape and made one or two controversial comments in class. It was bias from the words he said but it was borderline racism too, if that makes sense. The video was very eye opening on showing how people were affected by biases used against them and gives a great point on how we should not use biases at all. Birdman789
This was a very interesting video, and she was a very outspoken person. She had no fear in saying what needed to be said about biases and how they are in everyday life. Most of her examples were very accurate, I specifically liked the ones about the little girl from, what I would assume as a predominately black school and the one about the doctor’s who couldn’t figure out the disease because they had biases. These to examples very accurately depict what biases commonly occur. My mother has been a teacher for 20 years and she has constantly brought up the fact, as she moves from school to school. Everywhere you go to, more often than not there will always be older generation teachers who are stuck in their ways and have a particular bias, that they just seem to not be able to over look. It just seems to be that way. Not only that but when I heard the example about the doctors and patient it made me think of an article I saw online; the article said, “A 2012 study used identical case vignettes to examine how pediatricians’ implicit racial attitudes affect treatment recommendations for four common pediatric conditions. Results indicated that as pediatricians’ pro-White implicit biases increased, they were more likely to prescribe painkillers for vignette patients who were White as opposed to Black.” (Kirwan Institute). It just goes to show without working together to move pass the implicit bias, we cannot move forward. Bullsnation012.
I agree with you on that biases are a part of everyday life. The older generate grew up with different biases than what we have today so thats why theirs seem a lot worse than ours. Theirs are a lot harder to break due to them being so common and acceptable when they were growing up. If people could control them to some extent the world could be a lot better place. dragons789
I completely agree with you that biases are everywhere, and it definitely shows in older generations. My grandparents show some biases but it was a common thing for their time. Biases happen in the professional world and they happen in a person’s personal life. But if someone knows they have a bias it should be in their best interests to change their ways of thinking so they don’t just assume something and not know the real story. Birdman123
Birdman123 only if things were that easy bias and racism just so happens to be a big part of this country it isnt something that start over night though we widh things were different and hope that things will change it is our reality and itll take longer for it to decease then we want to believe i so wish people will change there views but its going take people wanting to and not be forced to patient123
The video is both interesting and an eye opener. She said what needed to be said about biases and how they happen everyday. I liked the example she used with the little girl. It's a sad but true thing that people have grown up around things they have it permanently stuck in their head. Like in the video the teacher had the biases that all blacks were uneducated and were always wrong. People need to realize thats not the case and should treat everyone equally until they give them a solid reason not to. Everyone has biases it a part of life but you are able to control them so people need to give people a chance before they should have a bias towards someone. If people would control their biases to a certain point this world could be a lot better place. dragons789
I agree with you that this video is an eye opener. I wish people with bias learn from their own mistakes and change overtime even though it is possible their bias stuck in their mind. The teacher should have been a role model for the younger generation. It is very sad thing to know that these types of events happens often even today. I believe that our country has come long way in racial relationship, but more need to be done. -Chichi012
It is a shame that the teacher could not keep a sober mind in the classroom. It is one thing to have a bias, but another to act out on it in that way. I think we have a skewed view of "equality" that everyone says they are, but I think we have bigger fish to fry than fluffy labels. We need to promote cross culture and diverse functions for community building. What we do in our neighborhoods will spread to others. We got a lot of work that will need to happen before we have some form of "equality." Man can't be satisfied nor can they be happy with being the same as everyone else. Palmdaddy789
I found this video very interesting and I thought the speaker did a very good job on her details and she kept on track and used real life examples. I personally don't agree with the implicit bias. I agree that there is a subconscious bias on how you feel about certain things but I don't think it affects us at all. She used the example of when she was solving the math problem and the teacher kept telling her no its wrong because she is black. I don't understand how someone cant see that she got it right all because the teacher had a implicit bias. However, When she was talking about her daughter going into the counselors office and tells him that she wants to be a surgeon I can see why the counselor said to think more realistic. I don't agree with it at all that's a horrible counselor They should make you want to reach for more than your dreams not crush them down. I could go both ways on this one. Godzilla012
I'm glad we are talking about this subject. Over winter break, I went to a missions conference called Urbana 15 and I took a siminar on racial reconciliation and also watched a black lives matter panel discuss the same issues in their lives like this lady has done. White privilege is real, even though in East Peoria you don't see much of this, due to this city having a higher Caucasian population. Looking back at these stories these are the same stories from many people of color and culture tell. This video and the Harvard study really put you in a position of self awareness so you can do more self checks. To anyone who wants to be a LEO, this needs to start now and you need to start taking a proactive approache on your responses as well as your body language toward people. I have been working on this for a while and trying to expose myself to diverse groups of people to better understand their lifestyle and communicate more effectively. Implicit biases are something that we all must evaluate at the end of the day so that we can walk in the light of racial reconciliation. Palmdaddy789
On a criminal justice point of view on this I found the video very fun and I enjoyed it a lot. When she was talking about the math teacher that couldn't believe she got it right just because she was black is the reason that this world is messed up. Educators shouldn't have any bias at all! they are there to teach these young kids to do what they want to do and to give them the ability to solve problems and give them the confidence to do what they want to do. Teachers who discriminate like the one in the story are dangerous people. They can take a young happy kid willing to learn and make them into self hating criminals. Imagine your kid so excited to go to school to be able to learn and to make friends but the teacher doesn't like the color of his skin so the teacher makes fun of him and tells him that he cant do what he wants to do and he will amount to nothing. Its basically the same thing the speaker in the video was talking about. Even though she got the math question right just because she was black the teacher only saw that it was wrong. Godzilla789
I totally agree with you on teachers who discriminate being extremely dangerous. Teachers are suppose to be there to teach children regular academics but also that they can do and be whatever they set their mind out to. These are people that spend eight hours a day with our kids from childhood to young adult and adult and that lots of children look up to. I had issues with a few of my son's teachers over the years because my son always liked to talk and was class clown, but he always got good grades and treated everyone fair and polite. I've also seen it with my son's name, when he was younger I would say his name and actually have people ask if he was mixed...just because of the name I gave him. It doesn't happen as much now so maybe people are more open minded, who knows. Deacon 012
I liked this clip and how she explained it. Although her stories were both sad and disturbing they did the job on explaining more the definition of implicit bias. I have experienced this and have also done this myself. I ride a motorcycle and have tattoos as do a lot of people I ride with. When we stop and go into a gas station or restaurant I've seen people pull their children a little closer or clearly step away from us as if we had a contagious disease. While bikers hold the biggest charitable events and benefits. When she talked about crossing the street, I've done this but not sure if it is necessarily due to a bias, as I am female I do watch what types of situations I put myself in, just because of what the world we live in is today. I wouldn't cross out of path of a single person, male, female, black, white, but I would if it were a group of any of these just as precautionary. I've even done this with my son. While walking in a parking lot we were approached by a white male who seemed to come up a little quicker then was comfortable and asked for directions and before he got up to us I put my son behind me and pushed him around the other side of the vehicle even though the man hadn't actually done anything. I'm not sure if these actions are bias or not but they have been fed by media always showing car jacking and women as victims so it makes you more aware. Her saying to call yourself on it and ask "why did I do that?" my answer would be for possible safety of my son so im not sure if its a bias? Deacon012
Its kind of funny if you think about all these little things that we do without even noticing it. For example, if you're in a gas station and see a man enter wearing a hood, you might watch him carefully. Sometimes it will be hard to catch ourselves because these biases are so ingrained into our personality. Most people aren't racist but if that man with the hood walking into the gas station was black a white person might be more cautious than if he were white. Its not an act of racism, its just bias from what the media or your peers or family have told you.
This was a truly fascinating Ted Talk. Rather than relying on the theoretical concepts of implicit biases, Melanie Funchess brought it down to the real world by incorporating anecdotes from her life and the life of her daughter. The stories she shared truly broke my heart. I can’t imagine having to fight to prove that I had a correct answer to a math problem, fighting to have my spouse tested for the correct malady, or to pursue the career I wish to. While I haven’t experienced implicit bias to the degree that Funchess has, I have had a taste of it. I’m a psychology major with an eye on becoming a counselor. I am also an evangelical Christian. Within the evangelical Christian community, there is a huge bias against psychology. Many believe that it is merely the opinions of man or, even worse, the work of the devil. I have received a lot of sideways looks and suggestions for alternate careers from Christians I love and respect. I can see how important it is to recognize, admit, and address our implicit biases and grow beyond them. In order to love our fellow man and woman, we must. – Jung102
I loved her real world examples as well. They proved her point and addressed so many social issues that these implicit biases bring about. It's insane how much these biases have changed and challenged her life and those of so many other people every single day. I'm also a student of Psychology and hope that your church is understanding of the importance of the science in years to come. -leafy012
This video is a real eye opener. My whole life until college I've only been exposed to white people. MY grandma owns a trailer park and for the longest time she would find a way to avoid renting to black people. I grew up only exposed to white people. The only black people I was exposed to when I was young was my mothers drug dealers. So with those being combined I've always know about this negative bias. After coming to ICC its been a real eye opener that not all black people are negative at all. It's shown me that black people and white people can be just as successful as each other and they both deserve it with hard work and persistence. \ ~ Caz789
It was a very powerful story about the thirty year old that was very ill and the doctors were working to find a cure that was accustomed to black males. I think that the story was very powerful because it does talk about some of the problems that happen with using biases in your life; in one story it meant that the man almost died because doctors were too focused on seeing if he had HIV than seeing if he could have any other disease. This can also go with law enforcement too, I have met some officers that have biases against certain types of people and it can greatly affect how they work. I think the goal is if you know that you have a bias against something or someone that you should at least make an effort to change because you could be completely wrong in your thinking and it directly affects how you are viewing that person. Birdman123
It was a very good video and it carried a strong message about the bad things that can occur if you use implicit biases against someone and not see who they really are. It was sad to hear about the math teacher who had a bias that having black skin made you worse at math than someone else. It was also sad to hear about the man with non-Hoskins lymphoma but the doctors were too busy to test for HIV because he was a black male than to see what he really had. Biases are in our society no matter what and it will be impossible to get rid of them completely. There will always be someone that forms a bias or gets one from a stereotype that effects how they view people. The goal is to figure out your biases and that way you can learn to get rid of them so they don’t affect you or people around you. Birdman789
This was an amazing video I loved it! I agree it was very sad to hear about her husband. It baffles me that even the doctors who go to school for years and who we all trust with our lives will let their own bias's get in the way of their patients. This man could have died but the doctors were all too foolish to see the answer staring them in the face. I especially love the teacher who couldn't let an African American girl prove them wrong about a math question. It is truly sad how much time is spent wasted worrying about stupid bias's. Life is too short to judge people before getting to know them. We all want to be treated with respect! VT012
I agree with you that it is important to get rid of your biases so you don't affect those who are around you. I feel like its not that hard for me to hide my biases, mainly because I hate when people are disrespectful so I try to give everyone the equal amount of respect. That's what it mainly comes down too to me, giving people respect until they don't deserve it anymore. Not for being different from you. KLICK012
I like the way she presented implicit bias. I haven’t heard the exact term before, but she explained it in a beautiful way. She was very clear and I think that she easily reached the audience. This is one of the TED talks that one could listen without being bored. Although I agree with her theme I am not sure if every single instant like the example of the 14 year old girl can be taken as example of a discrimination. I think we all will go through this in some way but the important thing is not to get stuck with this idea of discrimination and move on with our life. I think that the discrimination will be there as long as human beings are there. I wish that 14 year old girl had a courage to challenge her teacher. Anyway it is a very interesting presentation and I enjoyed it. - Chichi012
From a social stand point when the speaker was telling the story and where she state that women wanted her husband to be test like white people do. I give that a lot of respect. We live in a world where only certain people can get test done as if they where going to the hospital. It shouldn't matter where we come from, what our background is, or ethnicity is but the world we live in now is not going to make it equal. Biases are the one thing in today's society that we all have to push through in our lives but what some people don't realize where a lot of people come from. They didn't ask to be a certain color, or ethnicity. It's life we all have to deal with it rather we like it or not. Even if someone was old school their biases will not change because they grew up in a different generation than we did. Like I said before it is life and we all go through it every day. BlackHawks012
I completely agree BlackHawks012 we do live in a world were certain people have more of a upper hand then others. It shouldn't matter where someone comes from, or what race they are, but in todays society that's what matters. Its really sad. Some people will always have biases because that is how they were raised or that's how they are being raised today. It is apart of everyday life and it is definitely something everyone goes through.Blue012
I agree that we live in a world where people have upper hands because of who they are. The court system is a good example that people get an upper hand if they can pay their way through so really it kind of takes away from our rights because of the amendments but i doubt it will ever change.Bengals012
contreras12 while i watch the video i really like the video because it telling about the different background and different ethnicity it help people discover everyone share the same thing
First off, I would like to say that she had some really nice teeth. But she had a lot of power into what she was talking about. She lived through the implicit bias not only once but twice. Her husband even just about died because of the bias. That's absolutely insane! If it wasn't for her speaking her mind her husband would have died for an awful reason. Also ruining her daughters dream is awful. It's a messed up world we live in where no one equals. Just because of the way people look they get treated differently. Coming from a criminal justice point of view I know that will always be. No matter what her four ways to fix it are. I know that biases will always be there no matter how hard we try. It's really negative sounding but we can't help it when its the truth. We can try all day but it won't happen because we are all only human. We are all filled with mistakes and unfortunately this one of the mains ones we see on a regular day. Even if we are not trying to have a bias. ICCRunner789
This video was so good. I loved it. For many people who did not understand the term implicit biases should have a better understanding after watching this powerful video. Its sad that a lot of individuals today judge someone or anyone based off of there background and ethnicity. I liked the example about the husband and his illness. I like that the wife stated my husband needs to tested like white people do. That shows the fight within her to keep her husband alive and to find out what was going on. It shouldn't be about color, race, or any of that but unfortunately it is. Some people don't care and they will make sure that you know it hints the doctors in the example. We cant ask to be a certain color. This is life we have to deal with it no matter what. Something's will never change people who grow up in a different generation have a different mind set then we do and no one will change that. Its apart life and we have to role with the punches everyday.Blue012
I LOVED this video! She was an incredible speaker and kept my full interest for the whole 13-15 minutes. Her way of speaking was very powerful and relate able. When you find out the stories are from her own life it real hits you because you realize that this is someone who has gone though this personally. These bias's can happen everyday all around you. She really makes you think of what bias's you do yourself without thinking of it. I believe our family, friends, media, and society has shaped us into such bias's that when we react certain ways we do need to ask ourselves why. We let society's views effect our own. We must think first and find our own outlooks on different people, religions, and so much more. She gave such good advise in to say we need to find things in common with others who do not seem the same as us. We are all quick to judge but we can actually learn a lot from each other. VT012
I agree that her personal stories had a significant impact on the credibility of her speech. Since she was able to give personal examples, it made it easier for other people to feel empathy. It also helped me to realize that implicit biases can be harmful to others even though people are not consciously being rude or biased to a certain person, but rather, their view of the world has skewed their treatment of a certain person. I also think that she opened our eyes to the biases we may act on without being consciously aware and ways that we can prevent this from happening. Cards789
This video was very good it really spoke out. It gave you a much better understanding of the term implicit bias. It talked that people are judging a lot on peoples race and ethnicity in todays society which most of us did already know. I liked the lady that was talking very much she made it to where you actually wanted to hear what she was saying so it helped get her message across. It is sad though how the society is because almost everywhere you go you are judged wether it is how much money you have or how you look because of skin tone or trashy or nice. For example if you are white you are not supposed to be good at basketball or if you are black you are not wealthy these stereotypes seem to just be the normal thing in todays society.Bengals012
I enjoyed this video as a follow-up to the implicit bias tests that we took because she explained what exactly implicit biases are and that everyone has them. After taking the implicit tests and before viewing this video, I thought that our biases existed in the subconscious regardless of whether or not we were consciously being biased. However, I discovered from this video that it is an UNCONSCIOUS process, not subconscious. I had the right idea, but was off a little bit. It was reassuring to hear that everyone has these implicit biases and that there are ways to change our brain to not act on these biases or to not have them anymore. My favorite part of this entire video is when she explains the importance of interconnectedness and mixing and blending with various people regardless of their differences. I am a big believer in being open-minded and having a diverse friend group, so this video reinforced the importance of these things in order to reduce or eliminate implicit biases. Cards789
First off, I love this woman sharing her culture through her dress. People with a bias from Africans may find her appearance alone discomforting, which only proves her point. I also loved her example in the beginning of the video where she spoke about the medical community. Doctors often have implicit bias and stereotype individuals based upon race. It is a largely overlooked problem and I'm glad she addressed it. People of all professions walk around with these hidden issues with other humans. It is something that I believe the world will never be completely free of, but we can learn how to deal with. Educating people about their own biases will help to lessen the severity and lead people to a more accepting lifestlye. - leafy012
Very easy to listen to and understand. I enjoyed hearing her point of view on this. I did a little research myself up on this and the definition of it is referring to relatively unconscious and relatively automatic features of prejudiced judgment and social behavior. The more I think about this I still do not think that I have any implicit bias'. I mean, I was raised to appreciate and respect everyone of every kind. Maybe I do somewhere, if I do I do not know anything about it and am completely unaware of it. So I do not see this affecting my judgement on individuals in my career field. And I can see how it would have an affect on my career if I happen to ever find any. -Ibanez789
That is a pretty good way to look at things. Every career has a up and down side to it all. Which can in some instances be heartbreaking to me. To believe that a person actually stayed in school all the years they were required, just to build up more powerful hate instead of strengthening a passion for your true calling in life. I am a very observant person any and everywhere that I go. If i feel that a person attitude toward me is ill for no reason i will address it. Especially in a place of business of some sort. Forensics123
I think this all has to do with the way we raise our children. If our children hear us say something about a certain group it can cloud their understanding on that certain group as well. It puts something in their memory that makes them think of what their parents/peers said every time they see that group. Because children tend to listen to their elders, they might listen to them on their opinion on that specific group. My parents taught me to respect others the way I wanted to be respected no matter what race, religion, gender, etc. That's what I was grew up on, and not to hate. -Ibanez012
It is important to be careful about how we talk about others around our children. Everything we say and do is mimicked by our children when they are young. Even if we do and say will affect our kids prejudices and ideas about people of other race, so it is important to teach them while they are young. Moot012
Her stories are the main reason why I would love to figure out how to control my biases when in the work force. Its hard to think back to a time when your bias may have affected someone but I bet the person that e=was affected by it doesn't. Its crazy to me that this is such a hard topic for people to discuss, if you don't speak about it then nothing will get solved and it will keep getting worse. The story about the teacher and the student makes me sick. That isnt having a bias, that's being racist.. I don't understand how someone could talk to a child like that. KLICK012
What Klick said. I don't believe these stories were of implicit bias. They were just racist. I mean, they were conscious open decisions to speak in public. The work force: this is the place to practice who you want to be. I like that idea of that she spoke of, Homogeneous, heterogeneous? I think thats what she said. Its getting late and I have to get this out. Surround yourself with diversity in population. Thats a good approach to retrain or phase out an implicit bias. "Which wolf wins?" "The one that you feed." Doberman789
Unfortunately she is right, I work at a nursing home in a small community and a lot of the residents, male and female will not let the black aides take care of them. They call them the "colored ones" and don't even try to learn their names or get to know them. There are many that wont let a man take care of them either, mostly women. There are a few that wont let a nurse help them in the bathroom or to clean up because that kind of work is "beneath" a nurse and they should never have to lower themselves to do that. I understand age has alot to do with it but it still sucks and the home abides by what the resident wants no matter how bad it makes someone feel. I will admit that i do play favorites in some cases, I will always favor Veterans over any one, but I was raised in a military family so I do it out of respect. And if you ask my middle child i favor the youngest child and the only boy because he is going into the military. I will have you know all of my children annoy me equally so there is no way I can play favorites. Sherlocked012
Yeah. Have to think about the time they grew up in. When they were children they were subject to racism not just being okay but how you were supposed to be. Sadly how it is. Bright spot is we have a new generation of people that are slowly more accepting of all races and sexual orientation. All the things from the past will hopefully be considered just a dark spot in our history. Buckeyes123
This woman is a very powerful speaker. She clearly showed what implicit bias is just through her stories. Having these natural prejudices towards people can make life difficult, but if we work hard to unlearn them, we can all make the world a better place. I am not personally aware of any biases I have... but after watching this I feel it necessary to really pay attention to what I'm doing and make an effort to not impose my biases on others. No one should be deterred from doing what they have a passion for just because others think they aren't capable. Marley012
You are completely right bias are and the way we treat people should not be effected from them. They can just stand in the way if you let them which is a shame. Its important to know yourself to realize what your bias may be. Jfl789
I agree with you 100 percent! You may not have come across these situations but I have and its really hurtful and unfair. We are all human, we all have the same capabilities, and people shouldn't be belittled by the color of their skin. mommy012
After seeing it all for every bit of what it really was. You found it in your heart to find a positive up side as a lesson learned from the video. Each day we learn something new that we possibly were unaware of about ourselves. That we can either work on decreasing on build on to make stronger. We are not always aware of certain biases that we have, though each dat we learn something different about others as well as ourselves. Forensics123
This video is something that makes me think and more importantly realize what am I, why do I do the thinks I do and what makes me. I love learning about this because it makes my mind open to things I am not use to looking at or giving a name to something I already realize. Implicit bias is a daily occurrence we just don’t know it. Toward the end of the video something jumped into my head. It was this is the exact reason I like my job. It has given me the ability to interact with many individuals that have learned from and formed relationships with. Also more importantly one could say it is the reason I am in college program I am. I love to learn and understand other peoples ideas and ways of live and most importantly there thought process implicit bias can be bad but remember if you didn’t have implicit bias people would not grow it’s a learning tool. If you want it to be. Jfl789
Being more open and able to relate to different people is a great trait. As she stated in the video that also helps diminish biases that most people have. I never thought of using implicit biases as a learning tool, but that is a good way of looking at it. Believe012
That's the thing with implicit biases, we do not even realize they are occurring until someone else points them out to us! It is unfortunate, and I think that in this day in age we should be able to overcome these biases. The tests we took prove that even if we do not think we are bias towards one thing versus another, unconsciously we still could be. Storm012
I do my best work when I'm uncomfortable. OK. first of all Priapism is not a laughing matter :) Melanie is my wife's name. So I dug this lady. The Ted talks are always a good time. Worth your time to watch. Her delivery was good. Im tired as hell but still am in it to win it. Not sure if I liked unconscious in the place of subconscious, oh well. 8:35 Primal...to protect. I liked that. I was a medical professional for the greater part of 20 years. And I can tell you, that some docs focus on medical problems associate with the race of the patient. Really. Medicine is all about guess work. They also focus on Sociodemographics as soon as you hit the door in the E.R. I'm not saying its right just saying it happens in real time. I never had considered that a implicit bias. Maybe it is. It wasn't an unconscious choice made by the doctor. It was a conscious decision. Nothing subconscious about that story. The math teacher was an outward racist. Nothing unconscious about the teachers story either. So if they were conscious decisions were they implicit? This was a hopeful video. I do call myself on my own stuff. Sometimes I go to the other side of the street to get away from someone because they look suspect. Like a criminal. This is an issue of self preservation. When I'm out with my wife and child my head is on a swivel. The criminal element will bring you down if your not in the yellow. 'I see you, I see myself.' thats worth the price of admission right there. *feels* Doberman789
I like how in the beginning of the video she asks everyone to be open minded. I like how honest she is with everything and the example she used with the matrix. I think that everything that she pointed out we’ve all done some knowingly and unknowing. I think that all implicit biases that people have sometimes are put there or have developed since we were little but we have pushed it to the back of our minds like the speaker says and in doing that, when these biases arise we don’t expect to do the things that we do or say the things that we say. I like how she ends her talk by saying I am my brother and sister and they are me, because it shows we are all no different. I think she did a wonderful job explaining biases and telling people what they should do to no longer let their own bias control them. Believe012
I also appreciated how she told us to be open minded! It is sad to me that she has to say that at the beginning of her talk, because I think we should all listen being as open minded as possible. I also enjoyed how she had stories to relate to what she was trying to teach us about. Storm012
MRS FUNCHESS IS A AWESOME SPEAKER WHO I WILL LOVE TO MEET.THE STUFF THAT SHE TALK ABOUT IS REALLY TOUCHING AND SO NOT FAIR.I FEEL AS ALOT OF WHITE PEOPLE TO THIS DAY UNDERESTIMATE BLACKS.FAR AS KNOWLEDGE WISE OR THEY THEY THINK JUST BECAUSE WE BLACK WE ARE UNEDUCATED,OR WE THUGS. WHICH IS NOT THE CASE YOUR SKIN TONE SHOULDN'T DETERMINED THE CARE YOU GET OR THE JOB YOU,OR HOW YOU YOU GET TREATED IN LIFE.THAT TEACHER HAS NO RIGHT TALKING TO HER THAT WAY.I ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED SOMETHING LIKE THAT 4 YEAR OLD ,BUT INSTEAD I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I KEPT RAISING MY HAND TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ,MY TEACHER KEPT CALLING ON THE WHITE KIDS.SO I ASK HER WHY AND SHE REFUSE TO CALL ON ME,SHE STATED BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK YOU KNEW THE ANSWER.SHAYLAVON789
I really enjoyed this Ted Talk speaker. I thought she did very well getting the attention of the audience at the beginning of the video and then throughout the video she did a good job of keeping my attention. As much as we would like to deny what she is saying in the video explicit bias occurs on a daily basis. I like the story she told about the man in the hospital. The doctors were specifically looking for something found in African Americans as opposed to being open minded and checking for common issues also found in the "white people". Once they opened their minds up, they immediately found the issue. Unfortunately, it was too late to do anything about it. Today we do not want to admit that we are still unconsciously stereotypical, judgmental, and do have explicit biases, but we do. It is sad that something as minor as the color of one's skin can change the way we look at them and treat them. Storm012
I've always enjoyed listening to 89.9 on Sundays at 5 to listen to various TED Talks and surfing around on Netflix too. Your point about addressing the issue of a bias is point-on. Her 'transformational activism' is a wonderful way to approach the issue and I hope her speech has impacted many to do so. I am who I am should be changed to a more universal stance such as I am who we are to be. I will definitely spend more time reflecting her points. - StrongArm789
I have always found it interesting how people stereotype even when they do not know the person. Like you, I liked the part when she was talking about the doctors and how they were only focusing on what African Americans had instead of being more open minded. Everyone will always have a bias and favor something over the other, but we will never admit it to others. bamboo456
This was a great video. The speaker had great humor and kept attention very well. The school I went to when I was younger had a majority white student population that was filled with a lot of “closet racists”. I say closet racists because they would never admit they were racists, but they clung strongly to the stereotypes that this woman discussed in the video. They would basically be openly racist and then deny being racist. Fortunately, my communities influence did not stick. My parents are strongly opposed to racism and I also had a lot of great minority friends. Actually, my best friends to this day are literally all minorities. Moot012
That's great to see. You had a good family and surrounding influences to teach you, then help uphold those teachings. I really like to think it's getting better because there is more interracial areas than ever before, then you see it. That person, or persons, being completely ignorant. Purple012
This video was great, am I glad we as a class were able to watch it to really spread that bias between race it real and is still happening in this era. Many people would deny that these things are happening, and might state everything is equal but in reality this situations similarly occur. I loved the scenarios that she gave in this clip they weren't any of the common scenarios people give when talking about racism, they were real, and unique. I'm a black African American girl and I have faced some racist situations upon my life that I'd rather not share, but they feeling I had in those situations were implacable. I know some people still may have the thought in their head that racism is over, but this is real. Its wrong, unfair, and ignorant! mommy012
She cracked me up describing the way she was explaining the commercials that pharmacology companies use. My friends and I use to joke about that too. And as soon as she said mentioned the side-effects I realized that was exactly how I felt about the results on the first test I took over how I felt on the disabled. I thought I would at least be neutral but unbeknownst to me I had negative stigma according to the test, the preference. Her point regarding the doctor stereotyping her husband was great. Why would you run a series of tests based on the stereotype instead of starting at the foundation of starting from a series of base observations? This has to go on hundreds of thousands of times a day, leading to thousands of misdiagnoses. As far as the teacher, who was well-educated from prestigious schools with a doctorate, proved her ignorance to a whole class of children. That is a wild story, but I agree that it is absolutely the reality of things. Our culture is fueled by our biases and as sad as it is a sad fact. I can’t imagine how much these biases come into play between criminals, police, lawyers, and judges. A change will come, at least that’s the hope I will continue to hold. - StrongArm789
Right of the bat you have the biggest problem with implicit bias. Putting someones health at risk based upon your own assumption of someone based upon their race. It's one thing to have bias against a group and have no impact on them, it is another to be someone providing health care and focusing on your bias as the truth. When in fact, it is not. The man in the story could have died all because of stupidity the doctor believed to be fact. The story about the little girl and the teacher probably was a common thing in the 50-70’s. Maybe without saying that language outloud, but you can be guaranteed there were plenty of teachers who were just like that. We all have biases big or small. This speech puts it in perspective. It is hard to keep them down and just "let them go" but it is always worth the shot. Everyones a human being. You don't get to pick your race/color/creed. Buckeyes123
This video was a great video explaining what implicit bias is. The true stories that she had brought up throughout the video just go to show that throughout our lives ever since we were young we have always had unconscious thoughts wired into our brain that either other people have put there or have been placed there just from every day society. Everybody has implicit bias. I don’t think one person can say that they don’t start using implicit bias when they are trying to get a feel for somebody. Automatically you’re going to start making assumptions about the person on what they look like, what they are wearing at the time, how they walk, how they talk, etc. When she brought up the story of the black male in the hospital and how even the doctors had been using implicit bias while trying to diagnose a black male with only things a “black person would get” was a good example of no matter who you are it unconsciously happens. Sparks123
I agree with you with everyone having implicit bias. We all probably do it daily just thinking about someone or something. But our world needs to stop showing it to everyone because we should all be treated the same no matter what! Green123
I enjoyed her presentation. I hope everyone takes something away from it. My fear is that some look at this as her telling white people to not judge black people. I look at it as lets quit judging anyone based off things that can't be changed. Your skin, your ethnicity, your birthplace, etc. are out of our control and yet we judge based on these things. The only thing that can determine our character are our actions. If how you treat me or others is negative then I'm going to see you as a person I don't want to be around. I won't judge you based off other's opinions. I will base it off what I see and personally experience. Let's take a dose of her prescription and see how easy and beneficial it really is. Purple012
I definitely agree that unfortunately some people will look at it like that, but on the other side of things i'm sure everybody who has watched this video and thought about it to type out a response has walked away with a little better understanding of what it is like to look at bias from the outside in and admit that it is a problem that needs corrected. Acquainted123
I really enjoyed watching this video. I think that a lot more people should sit down and watch it. I cannot believe that people are treated like this even still today. I know that it happens but there should not be anything like this in our world. We are all the same people just different gender and color. These differences that make us different from one another does not mean that we should be treated any different than the next. I hate that our world is this way and I can only hope that we grow out of it. Green123
I agree that this was a great video! It was also shocking to me when she talked about her own personal situations where people were biased towards her. I have never had any experiences like this and hope to never have to. I couldn't imagine how it would feel to be treated like this by people who are labeled as "professionals." gabegun123
I was into the video from the beginning and she did a great job of using examples not only I, but the whole audience can relate to. The example with the hospital and the husband is pretty accurate as this still happens today and you can really put yourself into their shoes knowing you want the proper treatment given to someone else close to you. The other examples like the Matrix and the teacher talking down to the student were also good examples. I think it is important for people to address both explicit and implicit biases in order to understand how they influence our decisions on just a day to day basis. As someone who has aspirations of becoming a future police officer I wish to make impartial decisions that are based on facts more than feelings I may not even know I have. Acquainted123
As a fellow aspiring police officer I too hope to make as impartial decisions as I possibly can in my day to day life. She really did a good job at drawing her audience in and opening the eyes of everyone who has watched or will watch this in the future. Her example of crossing the street to avoid someone was very eye opening because I feel like this is something that a lot of people do, and I’m sure that I’ve done something similar in my lifetime without even realizing that I did it. After watching this video and taking the implicit bias tests I will definitely start to evaluate my decisions to be sure that I am acting without bias due to ways that I may not even know that I feel. Blues456
What a great video! Melanie Funchess did a great job talking about implicit bias, and the effects it has on society today and ways to fix it. When she was telling the story about her family and her husbands illness, I was dumbfounded by how the doctors performed in this situation. Had they handled the situation differently and got a diagnosis sooner her husband may have lived, or had a little bit more time to live. Her story about herself when she was in school and the story about the 9th grader really made me realize how important it is to set aside the way you think, especially in position like a teacher or guidance counselor. She had some really good methods of breaking out of this habit, and ways to be self aware so you can put yourself in check when you find yourself acting on these beliefs. dangkids123
This video was very enlightening, and Mrs. Funchess’ stories really made an impact on me. I, like many others here, grew up in a very small town. My graduating class would have been thirty people, and we were all white. I knew many black people growing up and had many friends who were black, but I was also very aware that a lot of people around me harbored biases even if they didn’t mean to. I moved to Eureka in eighth grade and I’m so glad I did because even in a town that many people would consider small, I was finally around people who felt like I did. Her story about the doctors only searching for “black” diseases in her husband instead of checking for all diseases really shocked and appalled me, because it took her telling them to look for “white” diseases to get them to find out what was wrong with him. Then her stories about her teacher and her daughter’s guidance counselor showed me that even people who are required to give every child the same opportunities can be so biased that it affects how the child sees themselves, whether they are conscious biases or not. I like to think that I do not hold any biases, but watching this video has really made me look within myself to attempt to acknowledge these biases and work on eliminating them. Blues456
After watching this video, I too would like to eliminate any biases I have. My biggest fear is to someday turn into that school teacher whose job it is to expand the minds of young children. It disturbed me so much when she told that story. By saying those awful words in front of a whole classroom, she was putting the idea in their minds that it is okay to say things like that. I found all the examples in this video to be equally as appalling, yet very moving to me to look into my life and make changes where needed. Piglet456
I agree a lot of kids in school grow up with these biases around them. I have seen examples of this first hand as I was going through middle school and high school. Elite123
This is probably my favorite ted talk’s video I have seen yet. You could tell that this is a very meaningful subject to her just by the emotions she showed while talking. I like how she’s not just pushing people to not be biased. She addresses the real nature of the situation which is that everyone is biased to some extent and that all we can do is control it. By being able to control it we can better ourselves and learn to accept people how they are. Her stories about her 4th grade teacher and her husband’s doctor were very shocking. I couldn’t imagine being treated like that by other people for absolutely no reason. Everyone likes to think that they are open minded about all people but deep down there are some biased feelings towards some people. It’s a natural thing but if we can embrace it we can better ourselves along the way. Gabegun123
To comment on the medical story there are diseases that are race specific or increases your chances of getting specific diseases such as sickle cell. As a person studying to become a paramedic we are told day one to take what the patent says with as a grain of salt. So if we believe that they are lying to us we try to fit out prognoses with what they say not having a large impact on what we rule out as what it could be in our heads. People often think that we are going to rat them out to the police for doing drugs but we don’t. We can typically tell if you are lying or not. It still astonishing that this happened I would really like the year because it seems that every year people slowly through away those hateful thoughts and beliefs. I kind of want to know how the world or at least this country will be like in a hundred years. TAGTaylor33012
This video shed a lot of light on implicit biases. The stories shared in the video were very powerful. It really demonstrated the fact that knowingly or unknowingly everyone has bias towards people who are different. I think bias is unavoidable, yet it is something that can be very dangerous. The first example this women in the video gave, about the doctors continuing to check for diseases, even though test results showed he did not have them really proves this point. Because he was an African American male they treated him differently, which lead to him being given two weeks to live. It makes you wonder, if they had tested for everything in the first place, not just things that “African American males have” would his odds of survival be better? Would he have been able to get the treatment needed in enough time to save his life? The same is true in of police officers, they can't pick and choose who to help. There job is to protect and serve, not just people who are the same race, religion, or sexual orientation. Piglet456
This Ted talk video really gave some real examples of biased, I like how she used examples from her own life. I was amazed when she talked about the doctors and how they where only looking for HIV and drug related diseases just because he was African American and when she told them to look for stuff white people get they found out what he had and that he only had two week to live. She went on to say how we might not think its a problem anymore but she used her daughter as a example and explained how she had all these big plans for life but when she went into the guidance office and talked to the adviser he told her that's a pretty big dream and that she should focus on something more realistic, I don't know how she would have less of a chance of doing that than any other person. Elite123
It shocked me a lot when the story ended up being about the speaker herself and the story after that with her daughter was pretty eye opening too. Even though it seems as if people now more than ever are getting along and harmonizing together there are still underlying biases that affect normal nice people every day.
I agree, I was shocked that the young girl she was speaking of was hers. It really makes me ask myself just how many young kids that need to be guided in the right way, don't get what they need in life because of implicit biases. GRUNT123
This Ted talk video really opens your eyes to the world around us today. People do not even recognize that they have these biases until it essentially past the point of no return with whoever they are dealing with. The story with the doctors not testing the black male for common white diseases is a great example of that because they thought they were doing the right thing but when they realized that what they were doing was wrong it was already too late because they had essentially been caught using their biases against the family. The biases that they had might not even be known or even their fault somewhere down the road somebody had taught them to think differently about a certain type of person this is sad but it is true of society today.
This is one of the few ted talks that I have watched and enjoyed. When she talked about the doctors it really surprised me because I would think they would be more opened minded. For only to check what African American adults have, and to keep checking even when they came out negative. I lived in a town which is known to be racist, but it was not as bad as people made it out to be. I was one of the few kids at the school that was not white and I can see that there were some biases towards me from people. There were a select few that would say words to me, I would get mad or upset because they said things, but they didn’t even know who I am. There will always be biases towards people in the world because that’s just how people are raised. Overall, she did an amazing job telling the stories and explaining Implicit bias. bamboo456
I thoroughly enjoyed watching her speak. I was prepared to half fall asleep. The stories she told were really tough to listen too. Who knew someone could go through that. No one realizes they have implicit biases till someone mentions it to them or they are in a situation that makes them use it. Implicit biases are not a good thing I think. For example, at a Criminal Justice standpoint if a cop has implicit biases and he does not know about it he will start treating people unequally and end up maybe losing his job or getting sued for it. I did not know racism growing up because Marquette Heights is dominantly white population. However; I was still raised to treat others equally no matter what they look like or what disability they have. I think everyone should take the test we took because even though I did not agree with it at first, it does tap into the sub-consciousness of our minds. That way law enforcement or people in general can know what to be careful about and not let implicit biases take over their work or life. Extreme456
Very true. We all have our own biases because it's what life is all about. Their might be other people could agree with me or you but they can possibly think differently than you do. It's a lot of thinking but we don't look a way that other people might think we might be to them. DaBulls456
She made a good point pertaining to the doctor stereotyping her husband. It would have been much better to run a test to prevent biases verses having a test to see if you have biases. Im sure this is not the first case where this has actually happened. Many times if you are poor or if you are of a certain ethnicity this is what happens. At times i actually believe that some go to school to perfect a certain profession not because this is what he or she lives to do. Yet because they would like to be spiteful in a legal manner toward a certain race, creed, or religion of people. Which is so sad and heartbreaking to me you stayed in school all these years just to build up more powerful hate instead of strengthening a passion for your true calling in life. I am a very observant person any and everywhere that I go. If i feel that a person attitude toward me is ill for no reason i will address it. Especially in a place of business of some sort. Forensics123
I feel that the doctors stereotyping was very life threatning and not something that is professional in the medical field. As someone who works in the medical field we are supposed to be there to help, not judge. I think the story about the guidance counselor was terrible. How can you look a child in the eyes and tell them to lower their expectations for themselves. "dream big but not too big" basically. -Jakku012
Her stories were very un fourtunate i love how she is using her own personal situations to address what had been a battle for many individuals implicit bias is unfortunately something that is taught and the only way we as people can change that is calling herselfs on our own stuff like she said its not going to get better if we dont have people who are contributing to change. I certainly would hate for my children to have to experience some of the things we see and hear everyday. Her video was very inspirational and informal one person at a time there can and will be a change. Patient 123
I'm actually going to take this video and share it on facebook. She was a wonderful speaker, she was funny, she was light hearted, but most importantly, she was real. From beginning to end she was truthful about underlying implicit biases and also what steps you can take to overcome them. I feel that her personal experiences made the perspective for the biases far more real. I wish she could be in all the videos we blog about haha. Honestly was glad to find out my biases were mostly neutral but some of them I can improve on. When she said to ask yourself "why did I just do that" was a really important overcoming process because if you have an answer to the question, then you have already identified the problem. Implicit biases will never diminish from society as a whole, but if we keep having personal successes with lowering them, they might become rare. -Jakku012
I love watching TED Talk videos, the videos are always good to watch. It is really easy to fall into the traps of implicit biases. Many people are raised to think certain things when they see certain people or different things in life. I would have never guessed that this also happens at hospitals with doctors and the staff working at the hospital, I don’t understand why the doctor would only test that guy for only stuff a black person typically get, I think that that is wild and blows my mind. I love how they found the real cause of the problem in her story. She describes implicit biases as it compares with the matrix, and it makes perfect sense when she describes it like that. We as one need to change our way of thinking and when we find ourselves thinking certain things to call ourselves out on on and make that change. GRUNT123
Yes, I agree. I think a big factor in our bias views come from our early childhood and how we are raised. Some people grow up in a christian, Buddhist,muslim atheist families etc. Each religion is going to have its own views on certain types of people. What we are exposed to such as certain people, movies, shows, environments etc can also play roles in what we think. The areas we grow up in are important. We could have grown up in a rich or poor place and depending on the case, our views toward low class people will be different. The list can go on and on. Everything we lay our eyes on or hear since we are born has some impact on us and how we will perceive certain types of people. Music 456
We all have our own biases in different ways. We might not think or look that way but I bet you we say in our heads because we don't want to be that person that hates certain people for whatever reason. Biases will never leave because we deal with it on an everyday bases. This lady want's is saying that we all have something to say in our heads or maybe even try to tell us to sit in a different room with no one else and just let it all out. I mean that's what I do because I don't want to say it in public because I don't want to be that rude person all my life. People might have their own views and opinions on certain things but in today's society nobody will care what you think. They won't lose sleep over what we think. They are just going to move on with their lives and act like nothing ever happened. Biases may seem like we might be racist or sexist but we all don't think that way. It might just they acts that they think they see. DaBulls456
Interesting video and very eye opening. Everyone on this earth has at some point thought, say, and act on certain biases that they have. Society is a tricky thing, and its almost impossible to be bias free. Ill admit there are times when im out in public and I see a situation or someone and I will immediately draft up this huge story in my head, as to why this person is doing what they are doing or why they look what they look like. There are times where I see a situation and I activley think to myself to NOT judge based on a bias, but it happens anyways. Society has deemed so many norms as to implicit biases, that it can never be overlooked. The first example about the doctors surprised me. This guy was in trouble and they needed to find out what was wrong with him. Because he was black the doctors automatically thought to look for common things like aids, rather than to open up their eyes more and see anything is a possibility and to test in different categories. I just hate looking around and seeing people who look down on poor blacks, illegal immigrants etc and make these harsh judgments that effect them. Music 456
Mrs. Funchess is a great speaker. She was easy to listen to, even though she was addressing a topic that is hard to talk about and is so long overdue.
ReplyDeleteFor a person with influence to speak to a child with all of that hate disturbs me. I know it exists but I don't know how to make it different. It is shameful to me, and I cannot pass the buck. Is is a problem with our society, and no one is innocent in this. My natural reaction is to overcompensate for the bad behavior of others, and this isn't the correct response.
I DO know how it feels-discrimination. I have been treated 'less-than-equal' because I am white- and it hurts. To have the majority of people act this way would be difficult to fathom.
I spent nearly 10 years living in Atlanta, GA. It is almost 700 miles from here, but it a different world when compared to Peoria. I love Atlanta. I won't state that it is an even playing field, but more people have opportunities; or maybe they are a little more evenly distributed across the color spectrum. A black child has more opportunity and many more role models to show that individual success is possible. They have a better chance of turning those dreams into realities. Problems do exist; they exist everywhere.
I felt a little better; not as ashamed of myself. I existed in a better place and it may have eased my guilt.
I grew up in a very small town. About 100 miles north of Peoria. My graduating class was about 80 students, and I grew up in the biggest city in Mercer County. We had one black student; when I lived in a larger city. Befor that, I didn't know what racism was. I had never been exposed to it, and I wasn't aware of it until I started college. When I became aware of it, I was ashamed. I couldn't relate to it, because I had never felt that kind of bias. I really didn't understand.
I finished my first year of college and moved to Manhattan for several years, then Los Angeles, then to Phoenix, and then Atlanta. When I returned to Illinois, I began to reflect on how each city was different on the subject of racism. In all of the major cities I lived, people had a much different perspective on race. It wasn't until I returned to the mid-west that I realized how divided the races were. When I left Atlanta for Peoria, I had to 'set my clock back' about 20 years. It was so obvious- the difference between two cities that really are not that far away. It is changing, but it is not happening fast enough. I feel helpless and disgusted, knowing that people are treated so differently. People that have the same feelings and the same dreams. Disgusted because I don't seem to have any effect. My behavior, the behavior of one person, makes no difference because it affects so many people. How do we move forward? How do we find forgiveness for being so wrong? Maybe I don't know how to forgive myself for being complacent.
OICU8 012
I agree that the woman in this video is a great speaker. Her life experiences were hard to hear. For any teacher to speak to any child the way the math teacher spoke to her is unforgivable. I did not grow up in a small town. I grew up in Peoria and my grade school and high school had about equal amounts of white students and African American students. I grew up with my peers being all different colors. We were cheerleaders together and went to parties together. I had a car and I picked up two of my girlfriends every morning to take them to school. One was African American and one was white. In a way I wasn't aware of prejudice either. Not because I wasn't exposed to African Americans but because being around people of different color was normal for me. I remember two of my friends, who happen to be African American, and me, I am white, would hug each other me being in the middle and we would laugh and call ourselves an Oreo cookie. We saw our different colors but it did not matter to us. I am glad I grew up that way. Hadrosaur012
DeleteOICU8-012 YOU SHOULDN'T FEEL BAD YOU DIDN'T KNOW BOUT RACISM IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT. IT WAS JUST WEE YOU GREW UP AT.KNOW THAT YOU NOW ABOUT IMPLICIT BIAS DO YOU FEEL AS YOU HAD IT AGAINST THAT ONE BLACK PERSON THAT WAS IN YOUR CLASS.I WASN'T REALLY EXPOSE TO PREJUDICE EITHER,I TREATED EVERYONE HAS THE SAME BECAUSE I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE WHITE.SHAYLAVON789
DeleteI also grew up in a very small community north of Peoria. We also only had one black family in a high school of about 300 people. However, i did know racism from a young age. I remember hearing slurs and people talking down on minorities. I still know people today that are like that. Thankfully i didnt come away with those same feelings, and I am able to see through someone's skin color and see what kind of person they are. I remember going to New York City a few years ago and feeling like a minority for the first time in my life. Even though i was a minority, i never felt like i was being looked down upon because New York is light years ahead of where we are in Peoria. It is sad, but we will get there eventually. Crown012
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a farm town and went to middle school in a barn. I remember that we had an African American girl in our class and everyone loved her. I did not know racism at a young age. Thankfully I grew up and was taught that its manners that make the man. Godzilla012
DeleteI grew up in Marquette Heights. Its a small town close to North Pekin. We did not really know racism because majority of the population where white people. However i was taught ot treat everyone as an equal.
DeleteExtreme456
Hearing her stories about how she has personally suffered from other peoples biases is very sad, and no one should have to go through something like that because others are ignorant. The story about the guidance counselor was appalling. Some people may have dreams that are extremely difficult to obtain, but who are you to tell them no. You have just met this person and have no idea what they are made of. I really hope that something like this isn't the norm in our high schools. How are these kids supposed to make something of themselves if no one is willing to believe in them and show them what needs to be done to meet there goals. Crown012
ReplyDeleteI thought her stories where every interesting. At the end of the video it had me thinking that we all see or know some one that has different biases than we do our self's. We all through it in life because it's just the way the world is now. Generation's are becoming different now and we can try to change but everyone is different. BlackHawks012
DeleteI actually really loved her stories, they were terrible, but those situations clearly made her a stronger person. No one should have this kind of disrespect in their life. We should all be able to look at one another with respect and encouragement, not judgement. Marley012
DeleteI liked the speaker in this video. I thought she had a good message at the end. She reminded me of my friend's mom growing up. I did think the back ground of musical instruments was odd and I didn't know how they fit in. I thought maybe she would start playing at sometime. During the speakers first story, of the sick husband and his wife, I was picturing a white couple until she revealed why the only illness the doctors were looking for was HIV because the man was African American. I was shocked that I didn't think the couple was African American because the speaker was. I also automatically thought the doctors in this story were white men. I thought it was interesting that I would think that way. They could be African American, Asian, Indian, male, female, etc. I didn't like how the speaker said "white people". So often, especially in the media, the term "white people" tends to sound ugly and something to be ashamed of. I am white and I would never say "black people" in the negative way that I keep hearing about white people. I feel like it is a reverse prejudice in a way. I shouldn't be ashamed to be white. No one should be ashamed of their color. I know current events have put races against each other and I can see why there are prejudices. I won't lie and say I am without prejudice but I try not to let it get in the way of me getting to know someone. I have mix raced family members and friends. Not just African American and white but Philippine and white. I enjoy the diversity in my family. It makes me sad that color is such a barrier still today. I see less prejudice in me then I do in my parents and I definitely have less prejudice then my grandparents. At least in my experience, every generation has gotten better about acceptance. I hope my future children will grow up with even less. Hadrosaur012
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when mentioning the instruments that were behind her; I wasn't sure why they were there either. But I absolutely agree that no one should ever be ashamed of who they are (white, black, Asian, whatever it may be). Just like you said, I also imagined all of the people in her stories as being white until she said otherwise. I did think that she made very good points in her stories. They showed implicit bias even to the viewers. I also agree with you in saying that I would never use the term "black" in a negative way; it's just a way of identification. I don't use the term "African-American" simply because most of the black population didn't come from Africa; their ancestors did. My ancestors came from Europe but I don't expect to be called "European-American." I expect to be called white. Gators123
DeleteI feel like you may have a touch of an attention deficit disorder but you mad some pretty good remarks. It seems to me that what we as a whole country that has spent the last fifty some years trying to get away from racism as a whole, it seems to be morphing compared to erasing. Right after there was all that riot stuff in Baltimore and all those miss leading videos involving cops I started noticing there were people that are typically the victims becoming the perpetrators. That might have just been how I perceived it. TAGTaylor33012
DeleteThis video was very interesting and one of the very few TedTalks videos I can stand to watch. I thought her situations were very interesting and well presented. I know that I’m not the only one who thought that the teacher and that the student were both white until Melanie said that the student was black. In addition to that, I know that I’m not the only one who thought that the husband and wife (and their children) were white as well as the doctors, until otherwise stated. I suppose this is implicit bias; we think the people are all white (or the race we’re most familiar with) unless we’re told differently.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don’t think that, in the last scenario, the girl was told that she needs to look at something more realistic solely because she’s black. White people are put down just as often as black people. I firmly believe that we all need to help each other reach success, no matter our race, ethnicity, or gender. I’m a female so I know what it’s like to be told to go after what you want in life. But I’m white, so I also know what it’s like to be told no. It’s very unfair to those who genuinely want to succeed in life. Gators123
That is one thing I think can get misinterpreted quite a bit in talking about biases. A lot of the time people assume it is about racism when sometimes it can be just incompetence and arrogance. We can’t let someone who settled in their own life dictate to kids how to go past their imposed limitations on the way to their dreams, if the dreams are even slightly accessible.-Pasta012
DeleteGators123, I made the same racial assumptions when watching the video. We all tend to view the world in our own shade and assume that everyone is black or white until told otherwise. I would further wager that everyone has experienced the sting of implicit biases to one extent or another. Even I, a while protestant male (a traditionally “favored” group), have experienced implicit biases turned against me. It’s part of being human. But, though recognizing and discussing our biases we can start to move toward a better, less biased, world! – Jung012
DeleteThe difference between implicit bias and racist thoughts seem to be consistently confused if I understand it properly. I’ve heard people say to my face a mix of racial things just like what she was saying on purpose and without even knowing it. I’ve heard people say things like “It’s because their lazy” as well as “They just don’t care.” From what I can see and what I have experienced personally, it’s not always the case, and just using a blanket statement to describe an entire culture without acknowledging the whole of the situation doesn’t help with the understanding. So I feel that acknowledgement of implicit biases can prevent teaching old racist ideologies in a subvert manner and propagating old and outdated ways of thinking without the intention of doing so. I have heard true racist statements and there is a difference between implicit biases and racism, but it is our obligation to be more self-aware of our implicit biases to try and eliminate the place holders for these old racist stereotypes from our language. -Pasta012
ReplyDeleteI agree with this very much so. It is our duty and responsibility, whatever scenario it may be in, to try to be self-aware of ones own implicit bias in order to rid some of the racial stereotypes that are out there. If we notice them and keep them from being expressed in may also help discourage them from being passed on. Bullsnation012.
DeleteI thought this video was very eye opening and she was a great speaker. I can't say that i can relate to the video very well as i am a white male born into a middle class family (your "average American"). I also grew up in Washington which is around 90% white. I did experience racism, not towards myself but to those that were non-white. With so little people of color in my city some people are taken by surprise when they see someone different than them. on campus and around Peoria I see a lot of people who look different than me, but I always treat them as I would treat any other person. Of course, we all have bias' and sometimes they come out. This was one of the most interesting videos I have seen in a long time and it really opened my eyes.
ReplyDeleteCountryGirl789
The jump from high school to college was a little bit of culture shock. Going from a school with one or two African Americans to a college campus with tons of them is quite fascinating. I'm glad I am fortunate to be able to experience what its like to work with people who look differently from me. I found out that even though we look different on the outside we are the exact same on the inside. We are people just trying to get my and get a good education and we are all nice people. Godzilla789
DeleteI pretty much in the same situation you are from, white middle class male from a predominantly white town with racism and bias circulating around the community. Heck in high school some kid was wearing a confederate flag for a cape and made one or two controversial comments in class. It was bias from the words he said but it was borderline racism too, if that makes sense. The video was very eye opening on showing how people were affected by biases used against them and gives a great point on how we should not use biases at all. Birdman789
DeleteThis was a very interesting video, and she was a very outspoken person. She had no fear in saying what needed to be said about biases and how they are in everyday life. Most of her examples were very accurate, I specifically liked the ones about the little girl from, what I would assume as a predominately black school and the one about the doctor’s who couldn’t figure out the disease because they had biases. These to examples very accurately depict what biases commonly occur. My mother has been a teacher for 20 years and she has constantly brought up the fact, as she moves from school to school. Everywhere you go to, more often than not there will always be older generation teachers who are stuck in their ways and have a particular bias, that they just seem to not be able to over look. It just seems to be that way. Not only that but when I heard the example about the doctors and patient it made me think of an article I saw online; the article said, “A 2012 study used identical case vignettes to examine how pediatricians’ implicit racial attitudes affect treatment recommendations for four common pediatric conditions. Results indicated that as pediatricians’ pro-White implicit biases increased, they were more likely to prescribe painkillers for vignette patients who were White as opposed to Black.” (Kirwan Institute). It just goes to show without working together to move pass the implicit bias, we cannot move forward. Bullsnation012.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on that biases are a part of everyday life. The older generate grew up with different biases than what we have today so thats why theirs seem a lot worse than ours. Theirs are a lot harder to break due to them being so common and acceptable when they were growing up. If people could control them to some extent the world could be a lot better place. dragons789
DeleteI completely agree with you that biases are everywhere, and it definitely shows in older generations. My grandparents show some biases but it was a common thing for their time. Biases happen in the professional world and they happen in a person’s personal life. But if someone knows they have a bias it should be in their best interests to change their ways of thinking so they don’t just assume something and not know the real story. Birdman123
DeleteBirdman123 only if things were that easy bias and racism just so happens to be a big part of this country it isnt something that start over night though we widh things were different and hope that things will change it is our reality and itll take longer for it to decease then we want to believe i so wish people will change there views but its going take people wanting to and not be forced to patient123
DeleteThe video is both interesting and an eye opener. She said what needed to be said about biases and how they happen everyday. I liked the example she used with the little girl. It's a sad but true thing that people have grown up around things they have it permanently stuck in their head. Like in the video the teacher had the biases that all blacks were uneducated and were always wrong. People need to realize thats not the case and should treat everyone equally until they give them a solid reason not to. Everyone has biases it a part of life but you are able to control them so people need to give people a chance before they should have a bias towards someone. If people would control their biases to a certain point this world could be a lot better place. dragons789
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that this video is an eye opener. I wish people with bias learn from their own mistakes and change overtime even though it is possible their bias stuck in their mind. The teacher should have been a role model for the younger generation. It is very sad thing to know that these types of events happens often even today. I believe that our country has come long way in racial relationship, but more need to be done. -Chichi012
DeleteIt is a shame that the teacher could not keep a sober mind in the classroom. It is one thing to have a bias, but another to act out on it in that way. I think we have a skewed view of "equality" that everyone says they are, but I think we have bigger fish to fry than fluffy labels. We need to promote cross culture and diverse functions for community building. What we do in our neighborhoods will spread to others. We got a lot of work that will need to happen before we have some form of "equality."
DeleteMan can't be satisfied nor can they be happy with being the same as everyone else.
Palmdaddy789
I found this video very interesting and I thought the speaker did a very good job on her details and she kept on track and used real life examples. I personally don't agree with the implicit bias. I agree that there is a subconscious bias on how you feel about certain things but I don't think it affects us at all. She used the example of when she was solving the math problem and the teacher kept telling her no its wrong because she is black. I don't understand how someone cant see that she got it right all because the teacher had a implicit bias. However, When she was talking about her daughter going into the counselors office and tells him that she wants to be a surgeon I can see why the counselor said to think more realistic. I don't agree with it at all that's a horrible counselor They should make you want to reach for more than your dreams not crush them down. I could go both ways on this one. Godzilla012
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we are talking about this subject. Over winter break, I went to a missions conference called Urbana 15 and I took a siminar on racial reconciliation and also watched a black lives matter panel discuss the same issues in their lives like this lady has done.
ReplyDeleteWhite privilege is real, even though in East Peoria you don't see much of this, due to this city having a higher Caucasian population.
Looking back at these stories these are the same stories from many people of color and culture tell. This video and the Harvard study really put you in a position of self awareness so you can do more self checks. To anyone who wants to be a LEO, this needs to start now and you need to start taking a proactive approache on your responses as well as your body language toward people.
I have been working on this for a while and trying to expose myself to diverse groups of people to better understand their lifestyle and communicate more effectively.
Implicit biases are something that we all must evaluate at the end of the day so that we can walk in the light of racial reconciliation.
Palmdaddy789
On a criminal justice point of view on this I found the video very fun and I enjoyed it a lot. When she was talking about the math teacher that couldn't believe she got it right just because she was black is the reason that this world is messed up. Educators shouldn't have any bias at all! they are there to teach these young kids to do what they want to do and to give them the ability to solve problems and give them the confidence to do what they want to do. Teachers who discriminate like the one in the story are dangerous people. They can take a young happy kid willing to learn and make them into self hating criminals. Imagine your kid so excited to go to school to be able to learn and to make friends but the teacher doesn't like the color of his skin so the teacher makes fun of him and tells him that he cant do what he wants to do and he will amount to nothing. Its basically the same thing the speaker in the video was talking about. Even though she got the math question right just because she was black the teacher only saw that it was wrong. Godzilla789
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you on teachers who discriminate being extremely dangerous. Teachers are suppose to be there to teach children regular academics but also that they can do and be whatever they set their mind out to. These are people that spend eight hours a day with our kids from childhood to young adult and adult and that lots of children look up to. I had issues with a few of my son's teachers over the years because my son always liked to talk and was class clown, but he always got good grades and treated everyone fair and polite. I've also seen it with my son's name, when he was younger I would say his name and actually have people ask if he was mixed...just because of the name I gave him. It doesn't happen as much now so maybe people are more open minded, who knows. Deacon 012
DeleteI liked this clip and how she explained it. Although her stories were both sad and disturbing they did the job on explaining more the definition of implicit bias. I have experienced this and have also done this myself. I ride a motorcycle and have tattoos as do a lot of people I ride with. When we stop and go into a gas station or restaurant I've seen people pull their children a little closer or clearly step away from us as if we had a contagious disease. While bikers hold the biggest charitable events and benefits. When she talked about crossing the street, I've done this but not sure if it is necessarily due to a bias, as I am female I do watch what types of situations I put myself in, just because of what the world we live in is today. I wouldn't cross out of path of a single person, male, female, black, white, but I would if it were a group of any of these just as precautionary. I've even done this with my son. While walking in a parking lot we were approached by a white male who seemed to come up a little quicker then was comfortable and asked for directions and before he got up to us I put my son behind me and pushed him around the other side of the vehicle even though the man hadn't actually done anything. I'm not sure if these actions are bias or not but they have been fed by media always showing car jacking and women as victims so it makes you more aware. Her saying to call yourself on it and ask "why did I do that?" my answer would be for possible safety of my son so im not sure if its a bias? Deacon012
ReplyDeleteIts kind of funny if you think about all these little things that we do without even noticing it. For example, if you're in a gas station and see a man enter wearing a hood, you might watch him carefully. Sometimes it will be hard to catch ourselves because these biases are so ingrained into our personality. Most people aren't racist but if that man with the hood walking into the gas station was black a white person might be more cautious than if he were white. Its not an act of racism, its just bias from what the media or your peers or family have told you.
DeleteCountryGirl789
This was a truly fascinating Ted Talk. Rather than relying on the theoretical concepts of implicit biases, Melanie Funchess brought it down to the real world by incorporating anecdotes from her life and the life of her daughter. The stories she shared truly broke my heart. I can’t imagine having to fight to prove that I had a correct answer to a math problem, fighting to have my spouse tested for the correct malady, or to pursue the career I wish to. While I haven’t experienced implicit bias to the degree that Funchess has, I have had a taste of it. I’m a psychology major with an eye on becoming a counselor. I am also an evangelical Christian. Within the evangelical Christian community, there is a huge bias against psychology. Many believe that it is merely the opinions of man or, even worse, the work of the devil. I have received a lot of sideways looks and suggestions for alternate careers from Christians I love and respect. I can see how important it is to recognize, admit, and address our implicit biases and grow beyond them. In order to love our fellow man and woman, we must. – Jung102
ReplyDeleteI loved her real world examples as well. They proved her point and addressed so many social issues that these implicit biases bring about. It's insane how much these biases have changed and challenged her life and those of so many other people every single day. I'm also a student of Psychology and hope that your church is understanding of the importance of the science in years to come. -leafy012
DeleteThis video is a real eye opener. My whole life until college I've only been exposed to white people. MY grandma owns a trailer park and for the longest time she would find a way to avoid renting to black people. I grew up only exposed to white people. The only black people I was exposed to when I was young was my mothers drug dealers. So with those being combined I've always know about this negative bias. After coming to ICC its been a real eye opener that not all black people are negative at all. It's shown me that black people and white people can be just as successful as each other and they both deserve it with hard work and persistence. \
ReplyDelete~ Caz789
It was a very powerful story about the thirty year old that was very ill and the doctors were working to find a cure that was accustomed to black males. I think that the story was very powerful because it does talk about some of the problems that happen with using biases in your life; in one story it meant that the man almost died because doctors were too focused on seeing if he had HIV than seeing if he could have any other disease. This can also go with law enforcement too, I have met some officers that have biases against certain types of people and it can greatly affect how they work. I think the goal is if you know that you have a bias against something or someone that you should at least make an effort to change because you could be completely wrong in your thinking and it directly affects how you are viewing that person. Birdman123
ReplyDeleteIt was a very good video and it carried a strong message about the bad things that can occur if you use implicit biases against someone and not see who they really are. It was sad to hear about the math teacher who had a bias that having black skin made you worse at math than someone else. It was also sad to hear about the man with non-Hoskins lymphoma but the doctors were too busy to test for HIV because he was a black male than to see what he really had. Biases are in our society no matter what and it will be impossible to get rid of them completely. There will always be someone that forms a bias or gets one from a stereotype that effects how they view people. The goal is to figure out your biases and that way you can learn to get rid of them so they don’t affect you or people around you. Birdman789
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing video I loved it! I agree it was very sad to hear about her husband. It baffles me that even the doctors who go to school for years and who we all trust with our lives will let their own bias's get in the way of their patients. This man could have died but the doctors were all too foolish to see the answer staring them in the face. I especially love the teacher who couldn't let an African American girl prove them wrong about a math question. It is truly sad how much time is spent wasted worrying about stupid bias's. Life is too short to judge people before getting to know them. We all want to be treated with respect! VT012
DeleteI agree with you that it is important to get rid of your biases so you don't affect those who are around you. I feel like its not that hard for me to hide my biases, mainly because I hate when people are disrespectful so I try to give everyone the equal amount of respect. That's what it mainly comes down too to me, giving people respect until they don't deserve it anymore. Not for being different from you.
DeleteKLICK012
I like the way she presented implicit bias. I haven’t heard the exact term before, but she explained it in a beautiful way. She was very clear and I think that she easily reached the audience. This is one of the TED talks that one could listen without being bored. Although I agree with her theme I am not sure if every single instant like the example of the 14 year old girl can be taken as example of a discrimination. I think we all will go through this in some way but the important thing is not to get stuck with this idea of discrimination and move on with our life. I think that the discrimination will be there as long as human beings are there. I wish that 14 year old girl had a courage to challenge her teacher. Anyway it is a very interesting presentation and I enjoyed it. - Chichi012
ReplyDeleteFrom a social stand point when the speaker was telling the story and where she state that women wanted her husband to be test like white people do. I give that a lot of respect. We live in a world where only certain people can get test done as if they where going to the hospital. It shouldn't matter where we come from, what our background is, or ethnicity is but the world we live in now is not going to make it equal. Biases are the one thing in today's society that we all have to push through in our lives but what some people don't realize where a lot of people come from. They didn't ask to be a certain color, or ethnicity. It's life we all have to deal with it rather we like it or not. Even if someone was old school their biases will not change because they grew up in a different generation than we did. Like I said before it is life and we all go through it every day. BlackHawks012
ReplyDeleteI completely agree BlackHawks012 we do live in a world were certain people have more of a upper hand then others. It shouldn't matter where someone comes from, or what race they are, but in todays society that's what matters. Its really sad. Some people will always have biases because that is how they were raised or that's how they are being raised today. It is apart of everyday life and it is definitely something everyone goes through.Blue012
DeleteI agree that we live in a world where people have upper hands because of who they are. The court system is a good example that people get an upper hand if they can pay their way through so really it kind of takes away from our rights because of the amendments but i doubt it will ever change.Bengals012
Deletecontreras12 while i watch the video i really like the video because it telling about the different background and different ethnicity it help people discover everyone share the same thing
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I would like to say that she had some really nice teeth. But she had a lot of power into what she was talking about. She lived through the implicit bias not only once but twice. Her husband even just about died because of the bias. That's absolutely insane! If it wasn't for her speaking her mind her husband would have died for an awful reason. Also ruining her daughters dream is awful. It's a messed up world we live in where no one equals. Just because of the way people look they get treated differently. Coming from a criminal justice point of view I know that will always be. No matter what her four ways to fix it are. I know that biases will always be there no matter how hard we try. It's really negative sounding but we can't help it when its the truth. We can try all day but it won't happen because we are all only human. We are all filled with mistakes and unfortunately this one of the mains ones we see on a regular day. Even if we are not trying to have a bias. ICCRunner789
ReplyDeleteThis video was so good. I loved it. For many people who did not understand the term implicit biases should have a better understanding after watching this powerful video. Its sad that a lot of individuals today judge someone or anyone based off of there background and ethnicity. I liked the example about the husband and his illness. I like that the wife stated my husband needs to tested like white people do. That shows the fight within her to keep her husband alive and to find out what was going on. It shouldn't be about color, race, or any of that but unfortunately it is. Some people don't care and they will make sure that you know it hints the doctors in the example. We cant ask to be a certain color. This is life we have to deal with it no matter what. Something's will never change people who grow up in a different generation have a different mind set then we do and no one will change that. Its apart life and we have to role with the punches everyday.Blue012
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this video! She was an incredible speaker and kept my full interest for the whole 13-15 minutes. Her way of speaking was very powerful and relate able. When you find out the stories are from her own life it real hits you because you realize that this is someone who has gone though this personally. These bias's can happen everyday all around you. She really makes you think of what bias's you do yourself without thinking of it. I believe our family, friends, media, and society has shaped us into such bias's that when we react certain ways we do need to ask ourselves why. We let society's views effect our own. We must think first and find our own outlooks on different people, religions, and so much more. She gave such good advise in to say we need to find things in common with others who do not seem the same as us. We are all quick to judge but we can actually learn a lot from each other. VT012
ReplyDeleteI agree that her personal stories had a significant impact on the credibility of her speech. Since she was able to give personal examples, it made it easier for other people to feel empathy. It also helped me to realize that implicit biases can be harmful to others even though people are not consciously being rude or biased to a certain person, but rather, their view of the world has skewed their treatment of a certain person. I also think that she opened our eyes to the biases we may act on without being consciously aware and ways that we can prevent this from happening. Cards789
DeleteThis video was very good it really spoke out. It gave you a much better understanding of the term implicit bias. It talked that people are judging a lot on peoples race and ethnicity in todays society which most of us did already know. I liked the lady that was talking very much she made it to where you actually wanted to hear what she was saying so it helped get her message across. It is sad though how the society is because almost everywhere you go you are judged wether it is how much money you have or how you look because of skin tone or trashy or nice. For example if you are white you are not supposed to be good at basketball or if you are black you are not wealthy these stereotypes seem to just be the normal thing in todays society.Bengals012
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this video as a follow-up to the implicit bias tests that we took because she explained what exactly implicit biases are and that everyone has them. After taking the implicit tests and before viewing this video, I thought that our biases existed in the subconscious regardless of whether or not we were consciously being biased. However, I discovered from this video that it is an UNCONSCIOUS process, not subconscious. I had the right idea, but was off a little bit. It was reassuring to hear that everyone has these implicit biases and that there are ways to change our brain to not act on these biases or to not have them anymore. My favorite part of this entire video is when she explains the importance of interconnectedness and mixing and blending with various people regardless of their differences. I am a big believer in being open-minded and having a diverse friend group, so this video reinforced the importance of these things in order to reduce or eliminate implicit biases. Cards789
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I love this woman sharing her culture through her dress. People with a bias from Africans may find her appearance alone discomforting, which only proves her point. I also loved her example in the beginning of the video where she spoke about the medical community. Doctors often have implicit bias and stereotype individuals based upon race. It is a largely overlooked problem and I'm glad she addressed it. People of all professions walk around with these hidden issues with other humans. It is something that I believe the world will never be completely free of, but we can learn how to deal with. Educating people about their own biases will help to lessen the severity and lead people to a more accepting lifestlye. - leafy012
ReplyDeleteVery easy to listen to and understand. I enjoyed hearing her point of view on this. I did a little research myself up on this and the definition of it is referring to relatively unconscious and relatively automatic features of prejudiced judgment and social behavior. The more I think about this I still do not think that I have any implicit bias'. I mean, I was raised to appreciate and respect everyone of every kind. Maybe I do somewhere, if I do I do not know anything about it and am completely unaware of it. So I do not see this affecting my judgement on individuals in my career field. And I can see how it would have an affect on my career if I happen to ever find any.
ReplyDelete-Ibanez789
That is a pretty good way to look at things. Every career has a up and down side to it all. Which can in some instances be heartbreaking to me. To believe that a person actually stayed in school all the years they were required, just to build up more powerful hate instead of strengthening a passion for your true calling in life. I am a very observant person any and everywhere that I go. If i feel that a person attitude toward me is ill for no reason i will address it. Especially in a place of business of some sort. Forensics123
DeleteI think this all has to do with the way we raise our children. If our children hear us say something about a certain group it can cloud their understanding on that certain group as well. It puts something in their memory that makes them think of what their parents/peers said every time they see that group. Because children tend to listen to their elders, they might listen to them on their opinion on that specific group. My parents taught me to respect others the way I wanted to be respected no matter what race, religion, gender, etc. That's what I was grew up on, and not to hate.
ReplyDelete-Ibanez012
It is important to be careful about how we talk about others around our children. Everything we say and do is mimicked by our children when they are young. Even if we do and say will affect our kids prejudices and ideas about people of other race, so it is important to teach them while they are young. Moot012
DeleteHer stories are the main reason why I would love to figure out how to control my biases when in the work force. Its hard to think back to a time when your bias may have affected someone but I bet the person that e=was affected by it doesn't. Its crazy to me that this is such a hard topic for people to discuss, if you don't speak about it then nothing will get solved and it will keep getting worse. The story about the teacher and the student makes me sick. That isnt having a bias, that's being racist.. I don't understand how someone could talk to a child like that.
ReplyDeleteKLICK012
What Klick said. I don't believe these stories were of implicit bias. They were just racist. I mean, they were conscious open decisions to speak in public. The work force: this is the place to practice who you want to be. I like that idea of that she spoke of, Homogeneous, heterogeneous? I think thats what she said. Its getting late and I have to get this out. Surround yourself with diversity in population. Thats a good approach to retrain or phase out an implicit bias. "Which wolf wins?" "The one that you feed." Doberman789
DeleteUnfortunately she is right, I work at a nursing home in a small community and a lot of the residents, male and female will not let the black aides take care of them. They call them the "colored ones" and don't even try to learn their names or get to know them. There are many that wont let a man take care of them either, mostly women. There are a few that wont let a nurse help them in the bathroom or to clean up because that kind of work is "beneath" a nurse and they should never have to lower themselves to do that. I understand age has alot to do with it but it still sucks and the home abides by what the resident wants no matter how bad it makes someone feel. I will admit that i do play favorites in some cases, I will always favor Veterans over any one, but I was raised in a military family so I do it out of respect. And if you ask my middle child i favor the youngest child and the only boy because he is going into the military. I will have you know all of my children annoy me equally so there is no way I can play favorites. Sherlocked012
ReplyDeleteYeah. Have to think about the time they grew up in. When they were children they were subject to racism not just being okay but how you were supposed to be. Sadly how it is. Bright spot is we have a new generation of people that are slowly more accepting of all races and sexual orientation. All the things from the past will hopefully be considered just a dark spot in our history.
DeleteBuckeyes123
This woman is a very powerful speaker. She clearly showed what implicit bias is just through her stories. Having these natural prejudices towards people can make life difficult, but if we work hard to unlearn them, we can all make the world a better place. I am not personally aware of any biases I have... but after watching this I feel it necessary to really pay attention to what I'm doing and make an effort to not impose my biases on others. No one should be deterred from doing what they have a passion for just because others think they aren't capable. Marley012
ReplyDeleteYou are completely right bias are and the way we treat people should not be effected from them. They can just stand in the way if you let them which is a shame. Its important to know yourself to realize what your bias may be.
DeleteJfl789
I agree with you 100 percent! You may not have come across these situations but I have and its really hurtful and unfair. We are all human, we all have the same capabilities, and people shouldn't be belittled by the color of their skin.
Deletemommy012
After seeing it all for every bit of what it really was. You found it in your heart to find a positive up side as a lesson learned from the video. Each day we learn something new that we possibly were unaware of about ourselves. That we can either work on decreasing on build on to make stronger. We are not always aware of certain biases that we have, though each dat we learn something different about others as well as ourselves. Forensics123
DeleteThis video is something that makes me think and more importantly realize what am I, why do I do the thinks I do and what makes me. I love learning about this because it makes my mind open to things I am not use to looking at or giving a name to something I already realize. Implicit bias is a daily occurrence we just don’t know it. Toward the end of the video something jumped into my head. It was this is the exact reason I like my job. It has given me the ability to interact with many individuals that have learned from and formed relationships with. Also more importantly one could say it is the reason I am in college program I am. I love to learn and understand other peoples ideas and ways of live and most importantly there thought process implicit bias can be bad but remember if you didn’t have implicit bias people would not grow it’s a learning tool. If you want it to be.
ReplyDeleteJfl789
Being more open and able to relate to different people is a great trait. As she stated in the video that also helps diminish biases that most people have. I never thought of using implicit biases as a learning tool, but that is a good way of looking at it. Believe012
DeleteThat's the thing with implicit biases, we do not even realize they are occurring until someone else points them out to us! It is unfortunate, and I think that in this day in age we should be able to overcome these biases. The tests we took prove that even if we do not think we are bias towards one thing versus another, unconsciously we still could be. Storm012
DeleteI do my best work when I'm uncomfortable. OK. first of all Priapism is not a laughing matter :) Melanie is my wife's name. So I dug this lady. The Ted talks are always a good time. Worth your time to watch. Her delivery was good. Im tired as hell but still am in it to win it. Not sure if I liked unconscious in the place of subconscious, oh well. 8:35 Primal...to protect. I liked that. I was a medical professional for the greater part of 20 years. And I can tell you, that some docs focus on medical problems associate with the race of the patient. Really. Medicine is all about guess work. They also focus on Sociodemographics as soon as you hit the door in the E.R. I'm not saying its right just saying it happens in real time. I never had considered that a implicit bias. Maybe it is. It wasn't an unconscious choice made by the doctor. It was a conscious decision. Nothing subconscious about that story. The math teacher was an outward racist. Nothing unconscious about the teachers story either. So if they were conscious decisions were they implicit? This was a hopeful video. I do call myself on my own stuff. Sometimes I go to the other side of the street to get away from someone because they look suspect. Like a criminal. This is an issue of self preservation. When I'm out with my wife and child my head is on a swivel. The criminal element will bring you down if your not in the yellow. 'I see you, I see myself.' thats worth the price of admission right there. *feels* Doberman789
ReplyDeleteI like how in the beginning of the video she asks everyone to be open minded. I like how honest she is with everything and the example she used with the matrix. I think that everything that she pointed out we’ve all done some knowingly and unknowing. I think that all implicit biases that people have sometimes are put there or have developed since we were little but we have pushed it to the back of our minds like the speaker says and in doing that, when these biases arise we don’t expect to do the things that we do or say the things that we say. I like how she ends her talk by saying I am my brother and sister and they are me, because it shows we are all no different. I think she did a wonderful job explaining biases and telling people what they should do to no longer let their own bias control them. Believe012
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated how she told us to be open minded! It is sad to me that she has to say that at the beginning of her talk, because I think we should all listen being as open minded as possible. I also enjoyed how she had stories to relate to what she was trying to teach us about. Storm012
DeleteMRS FUNCHESS IS A AWESOME SPEAKER WHO I WILL LOVE TO MEET.THE STUFF THAT SHE TALK ABOUT IS REALLY TOUCHING AND SO NOT FAIR.I FEEL AS ALOT OF WHITE PEOPLE TO THIS DAY UNDERESTIMATE BLACKS.FAR AS KNOWLEDGE WISE OR THEY THEY THINK JUST BECAUSE WE BLACK WE ARE UNEDUCATED,OR WE THUGS. WHICH IS NOT THE CASE YOUR SKIN TONE SHOULDN'T DETERMINED THE CARE YOU GET OR THE JOB YOU,OR HOW YOU YOU GET TREATED IN LIFE.THAT TEACHER HAS NO RIGHT TALKING TO HER THAT WAY.I ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED SOMETHING LIKE THAT 4 YEAR OLD ,BUT INSTEAD I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I KEPT RAISING MY HAND TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ,MY TEACHER KEPT CALLING ON THE WHITE KIDS.SO I ASK HER WHY AND SHE REFUSE TO CALL ON ME,SHE STATED BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK YOU KNEW THE ANSWER.SHAYLAVON789
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this Ted Talk speaker. I thought she did very well getting the attention of the audience at the beginning of the video and then throughout the video she did a good job of keeping my attention. As much as we would like to deny what she is saying in the video explicit bias occurs on a daily basis. I like the story she told about the man in the hospital. The doctors were specifically looking for something found in African Americans as opposed to being open minded and checking for common issues also found in the "white people". Once they opened their minds up, they immediately found the issue. Unfortunately, it was too late to do anything about it. Today we do not want to admit that we are still unconsciously stereotypical, judgmental, and do have explicit biases, but we do. It is sad that something as minor as the color of one's skin can change the way we look at them and treat them. Storm012
ReplyDeleteI've always enjoyed listening to 89.9 on Sundays at 5 to listen to various TED Talks and surfing around on Netflix too. Your point about addressing the issue of a bias is point-on. Her 'transformational activism' is a wonderful way to approach the issue and I hope her speech has impacted many to do so. I am who I am should be changed to a more universal stance such as I am who we are to be. I will definitely spend more time reflecting her points. - StrongArm789
DeleteI have always found it interesting how people stereotype even when they do not know the person. Like you, I liked the part when she was talking about the doctors and how they were only focusing on what African Americans had instead of being more open minded. Everyone will always have a bias and favor something over the other, but we will never admit it to others.
Deletebamboo456
This was a great video. The speaker had great humor and kept attention very well. The school I went to when I was younger had a majority white student population that was filled with a lot of “closet racists”. I say closet racists because they would never admit they were racists, but they clung strongly to the stereotypes that this woman discussed in the video. They would basically be openly racist and then deny being racist. Fortunately, my communities influence did not stick. My parents are strongly opposed to racism and I also had a lot of great minority friends. Actually, my best friends to this day are literally all minorities. Moot012
ReplyDeleteThat's great to see. You had a good family and surrounding influences to teach you, then help uphold those teachings. I really like to think it's getting better because there is more interracial areas than ever before, then you see it. That person, or persons, being completely ignorant. Purple012
DeleteThis video was great, am I glad we as a class were able to watch it to really spread that bias between race it real and is still happening in this era. Many people would deny that these things are happening, and might state everything is equal but in reality this situations similarly occur. I loved the scenarios that she gave in this clip they weren't any of the common scenarios people give when talking about racism, they were real, and unique. I'm a black African American girl and I have faced some racist situations upon my life that I'd rather not share, but they feeling I had in those situations were implacable. I know some people still may have the thought in their head that racism is over, but this is real. Its wrong, unfair, and ignorant!
ReplyDeletemommy012
She cracked me up describing the way she was explaining the commercials that pharmacology companies use. My friends and I use to joke about that too. And as soon as she said mentioned the side-effects I realized that was exactly how I felt about the results on the first test I took over how I felt on the disabled. I thought I would at least be neutral but unbeknownst to me I had negative stigma according to the test, the preference. Her point regarding the doctor stereotyping her husband was great. Why would you run a series of tests based on the stereotype instead of starting at the foundation of starting from a series of base observations? This has to go on hundreds of thousands of times a day, leading to thousands of misdiagnoses. As far as the teacher, who was well-educated from prestigious schools with a doctorate, proved her ignorance to a whole class of children. That is a wild story, but I agree that it is absolutely the reality of things. Our culture is fueled by our biases and as sad as it is a sad fact. I can’t imagine how much these biases come into play between criminals, police, lawyers, and judges. A change will come, at least that’s the hope I will continue to hold. - StrongArm789
ReplyDeleteRight of the bat you have the biggest problem with implicit bias. Putting someones health at risk based upon your own assumption of someone based upon their race. It's one thing to have bias against a group and have no impact on them, it is another to be someone providing health care and focusing on your bias as the truth. When in fact, it is not. The man in the story could have died all because of stupidity the doctor believed to be fact. The story about the little girl and the teacher probably was a common thing in the 50-70’s. Maybe without saying that language outloud, but you can be guaranteed there were plenty of teachers who were just like that. We all have biases big or small. This speech puts it in perspective. It is hard to keep them down and just "let them go" but it is always worth the shot. Everyones a human being. You don't get to pick your race/color/creed.
ReplyDeleteBuckeyes123
This video was a great video explaining what implicit bias is. The true stories that she had brought up throughout the video just go to show that throughout our lives ever since we were young we have always had unconscious thoughts wired into our brain that either other people have put there or have been placed there just from every day society. Everybody has implicit bias. I don’t think one person can say that they don’t start using implicit bias when they are trying to get a feel for somebody. Automatically you’re going to start making assumptions about the person on what they look like, what they are wearing at the time, how they walk, how they talk, etc. When she brought up the story of the black male in the hospital and how even the doctors had been using implicit bias while trying to diagnose a black male with only things a “black person would get” was a good example of no matter who you are it unconsciously happens. Sparks123
ReplyDeleteI agree with you with everyone having implicit bias. We all probably do it daily just thinking about someone or something. But our world needs to stop showing it to everyone because we should all be treated the same no matter what! Green123
DeleteI enjoyed her presentation. I hope everyone takes something away from it. My fear is that some look at this as her telling white people to not judge black people. I look at it as lets quit judging anyone based off things that can't be changed. Your skin, your ethnicity, your birthplace, etc. are out of our control and yet we judge based on these things. The only thing that can determine our character are our actions. If how you treat me or others is negative then I'm going to see you as a person I don't want to be around. I won't judge you based off other's opinions. I will base it off what I see and personally experience. Let's take a dose of her prescription and see how easy and beneficial it really is. Purple012
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that unfortunately some people will look at it like that, but on the other side of things i'm sure everybody who has watched this video and thought about it to type out a response has walked away with a little better understanding of what it is like to look at bias from the outside in and admit that it is a problem that needs corrected. Acquainted123
DeleteI really enjoyed watching this video. I think that a lot more people should sit down and watch it. I cannot believe that people are treated like this even still today. I know that it happens but there should not be anything like this in our world. We are all the same people just different gender and color. These differences that make us different from one another does not mean that we should be treated any different than the next. I hate that our world is this way and I can only hope that we grow out of it. Green123
ReplyDeleteI agree that this was a great video! It was also shocking to me when she talked about her own personal situations where people were biased towards her. I have never had any experiences like this and hope to never have to. I couldn't imagine how it would feel to be treated like this by people who are labeled as "professionals." gabegun123
DeleteI was into the video from the beginning and she did a great job of using examples not only I, but the whole audience can relate to. The example with the hospital and the husband is pretty accurate as this still happens today and you can really put yourself into their shoes knowing you want the proper treatment given to someone else close to you. The other examples like the Matrix and the teacher talking down to the student were also good examples. I think it is important for people to address both explicit and implicit biases in order to understand how they influence our decisions on just a day to day basis. As someone who has aspirations of becoming a future police officer I wish to make impartial decisions that are based on facts more than feelings I may not even know I have. Acquainted123
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow aspiring police officer I too hope to make as impartial decisions as I possibly can in my day to day life. She really did a good job at drawing her audience in and opening the eyes of everyone who has watched or will watch this in the future. Her example of crossing the street to avoid someone was very eye opening because I feel like this is something that a lot of people do, and I’m sure that I’ve done something similar in my lifetime without even realizing that I did it. After watching this video and taking the implicit bias tests I will definitely start to evaluate my decisions to be sure that I am acting without bias due to ways that I may not even know that I feel.
DeleteBlues456
What a great video! Melanie Funchess did a great job talking about implicit bias, and the effects it has on society today and ways to fix it. When she was telling the story about her family and her husbands illness, I was dumbfounded by how the doctors performed in this situation. Had they handled the situation differently and got a diagnosis sooner her husband may have lived, or had a little bit more time to live. Her story about herself when she was in school and the story about the 9th grader really made me realize how important it is to set aside the way you think, especially in position like a teacher or guidance counselor. She had some really good methods of breaking out of this habit, and ways to be self aware so you can put yourself in check when you find yourself acting on these beliefs. dangkids123
ReplyDeleteThis video was very enlightening, and Mrs. Funchess’ stories really made an impact on me. I, like many others here, grew up in a very small town. My graduating class would have been thirty people, and we were all white. I knew many black people growing up and had many friends who were black, but I was also very aware that a lot of people around me harbored biases even if they didn’t mean to. I moved to Eureka in eighth grade and I’m so glad I did because even in a town that many people would consider small, I was finally around people who felt like I did. Her story about the doctors only searching for “black” diseases in her husband instead of checking for all diseases really shocked and appalled me, because it took her telling them to look for “white” diseases to get them to find out what was wrong with him. Then her stories about her teacher and her daughter’s guidance counselor showed me that even people who are required to give every child the same opportunities can be so biased that it affects how the child sees themselves, whether they are conscious biases or not. I like to think that I do not hold any biases, but watching this video has really made me look within myself to attempt to acknowledge these biases and work on eliminating them.
ReplyDeleteBlues456
After watching this video, I too would like to eliminate any biases I have. My biggest fear is to someday turn into that school teacher whose job it is to expand the minds of young children. It disturbed me so much when she told that story. By saying those awful words in front of a whole classroom, she was putting the idea in their minds that it is okay to say things like that. I found all the examples in this video to be equally as appalling, yet very moving to me to look into my life and make changes where needed. Piglet456
DeleteI agree a lot of kids in school grow up with these biases around them. I have seen examples of this first hand as I was going through middle school and high school. Elite123
DeleteThis is probably my favorite ted talk’s video I have seen yet. You could tell that this is a very meaningful subject to her just by the emotions she showed while talking. I like how she’s not just pushing people to not be biased. She addresses the real nature of the situation which is that everyone is biased to some extent and that all we can do is control it. By being able to control it we can better ourselves and learn to accept people how they are. Her stories about her 4th grade teacher and her husband’s doctor were very shocking. I couldn’t imagine being treated like that by other people for absolutely no reason. Everyone likes to think that they are open minded about all people but deep down there are some biased feelings towards some people. It’s a natural thing but if we can embrace it we can better ourselves along the way. Gabegun123
ReplyDeleteTo comment on the medical story there are diseases that are race specific or increases your chances of getting specific diseases such as sickle cell. As a person studying to become a paramedic we are told day one to take what the patent says with as a grain of salt. So if we believe that they are lying to us we try to fit out prognoses with what they say not having a large impact on what we rule out as what it could be in our heads. People often think that we are going to rat them out to the police for doing drugs but we don’t. We can typically tell if you are lying or not. It still astonishing that this happened I would really like the year because it seems that every year people slowly through away those hateful thoughts and beliefs. I kind of want to know how the world or at least this country will be like in a hundred years. TAGTaylor33012
ReplyDeleteThis video shed a lot of light on implicit biases. The stories shared in the video were very powerful. It really demonstrated the fact that knowingly or unknowingly everyone has bias towards people who are different. I think bias is unavoidable, yet it is something that can be very dangerous. The first example this women in the video gave, about the doctors continuing to check for diseases, even though test results showed he did not have them really proves this point. Because he was an African American male they treated him differently, which lead to him being given two weeks to live. It makes you wonder, if they had tested for everything in the first place, not just things that “African American males have” would his odds of survival be better? Would he have been able to get the treatment needed in enough time to save his life? The same is true in of police officers, they can't pick and choose who to help. There job is to protect and serve, not just people who are the same race, religion, or sexual orientation. Piglet456
ReplyDeleteThis Ted talk video really gave some real examples of biased, I like how she used examples from her own life. I was amazed when she talked about the doctors and how they where only looking for HIV and drug related diseases just because he was African American and when she told them to look for stuff white people get they found out what he had and that he only had two week to live. She went on to say how we might not think its a problem anymore but she used her daughter as a example and explained how she had all these big plans for life but when she went into the guidance office and talked to the adviser he told her that's a pretty big dream and that she should focus on something more realistic, I don't know how she would have less of a chance of doing that than any other person. Elite123
ReplyDeleteIt shocked me a lot when the story ended up being about the speaker herself and the story after that with her daughter was pretty eye opening too. Even though it seems as if people now more than ever are getting along and harmonizing together there are still underlying biases that affect normal nice people every day.
Deletewutang123
I agree, I was shocked that the young girl she was speaking of was hers. It really makes me ask myself just how many young kids that need to be guided in the right way, don't get what they need in life because of implicit biases.
DeleteGRUNT123
This Ted talk video really opens your eyes to the world around us today. People do not even recognize that they have these biases until it essentially past the point of no return with whoever they are dealing with. The story with the doctors not testing the black male for common white diseases is a great example of that because they thought they were doing the right thing but when they realized that what they were doing was wrong it was already too late because they had essentially been caught using their biases against the family. The biases that they had might not even be known or even their fault somewhere down the road somebody had taught them to think differently about a certain type of person this is sad but it is true of society today.
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This is one of the few ted talks that I have watched and enjoyed. When she talked about the doctors it really surprised me because I would think they would be more opened minded. For only to check what African American adults have, and to keep checking even when they came out negative. I lived in a town which is known to be racist, but it was not as bad as people made it out to be. I was one of the few kids at the school that was not white and I can see that there were some biases towards me from people. There were a select few that would say words to me, I would get mad or upset because they said things, but they didn’t even know who I am. There will always be biases towards people in the world because that’s just how people are raised. Overall, she did an amazing job telling the stories and explaining Implicit bias.
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I thoroughly enjoyed watching her speak. I was prepared to half fall asleep. The stories she told were really tough to listen too. Who knew someone could go through that. No one realizes they have implicit biases till someone mentions it to them or they are in a situation that makes them use it. Implicit biases are not a good thing I think. For example, at a Criminal Justice standpoint if a cop has implicit biases and he does not know about it he will start treating people unequally and end up maybe losing his job or getting sued for it. I did not know racism growing up because Marquette Heights is dominantly white population. However; I was still raised to treat others equally no matter what they look like or what disability they have. I think everyone should take the test we took because even though I did not agree with it at first, it does tap into the sub-consciousness of our minds. That way law enforcement or people in general can know what to be careful about and not let implicit biases take over their work or life.
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Very true. We all have our own biases because it's what life is all about. Their might be other people could agree with me or you but they can possibly think differently than you do. It's a lot of thinking but we don't look a way that other people might think we might be to them. DaBulls456
DeleteShe made a good point pertaining to the doctor stereotyping her husband. It would have been much better to run a test to prevent biases verses having a test to see if you have biases. Im sure this is not the first case where this has actually happened. Many times if you are poor or if you are of a certain ethnicity this is what happens. At times i actually believe that some go to school to perfect a certain profession not because this is what he or she lives to do. Yet because they would like to be spiteful in a legal manner toward a certain race, creed, or religion of people. Which is so sad and heartbreaking to me you stayed in school all these years just to build up more powerful hate instead of strengthening a passion for your true calling in life. I am a very observant person any and everywhere that I go. If i feel that a person attitude toward me is ill for no reason i will address it. Especially in a place of business of some sort. Forensics123
ReplyDeleteI feel that the doctors stereotyping was very life threatning and not something that is professional in the medical field. As someone who works in the medical field we are supposed to be there to help, not judge. I think the story about the guidance counselor was terrible. How can you look a child in the eyes and tell them to lower their expectations for themselves. "dream big but not too big" basically. -Jakku012
DeleteHer stories were very un fourtunate i love how she is using her own personal situations to address what had been a battle for many individuals implicit bias is unfortunately something that is taught and the only way we as people can change that is calling herselfs on our own stuff like she said its not going to get better if we dont have people who are contributing to change. I certainly would hate for my children to have to experience some of the things we see and hear everyday. Her video was very inspirational and informal one person at a time there can and will be a change. Patient 123
ReplyDeleteI'm actually going to take this video and share it on facebook. She was a wonderful speaker, she was funny, she was light hearted, but most importantly, she was real. From beginning to end she was truthful about underlying implicit biases and also what steps you can take to overcome them. I feel that her personal experiences made the perspective for the biases far more real. I wish she could be in all the videos we blog about haha. Honestly was glad to find out my biases were mostly neutral but some of them I can improve on. When she said to ask yourself "why did I just do that" was a really important overcoming process because if you have an answer to the question, then you have already identified the problem. Implicit biases will never diminish from society as a whole, but if we keep having personal successes with lowering them, they might become rare. -Jakku012
ReplyDeleteI love watching TED Talk videos, the videos are always good to watch. It is really easy to fall into the traps of implicit biases. Many people are raised to think certain things when they see certain people or different things in life. I would have never guessed that this also happens at hospitals with doctors and the staff working at the hospital, I don’t understand why the doctor would only test that guy for only stuff a black person typically get, I think that that is wild and blows my mind. I love how they found the real cause of the problem in her story. She describes implicit biases as it compares with the matrix, and it makes perfect sense when she describes it like that. We as one need to change our way of thinking and when we find ourselves thinking certain things to call ourselves out on on and make that change.
ReplyDeleteGRUNT123
Yes, I agree. I think a big factor in our bias views come from our early childhood and how we are raised. Some people grow up in a christian, Buddhist,muslim atheist families etc. Each religion is going to have its own views on certain types of people. What we are exposed to such as certain people, movies, shows, environments etc can also play roles in what we think. The areas we grow up in are important. We could have grown up in a rich or poor place and depending on the case, our views toward low class people will be different. The list can go on and on. Everything we lay our eyes on or hear since we are born has some impact on us and how we will perceive certain types of people.
DeleteMusic 456
We all have our own biases in different ways. We might not think or look that way but I bet you we say in our heads because we don't want to be that person that hates certain people for whatever reason. Biases will never leave because we deal with it on an everyday bases. This lady want's is saying that we all have something to say in our heads or maybe even try to tell us to sit in a different room with no one else and just let it all out. I mean that's what I do because I don't want to say it in public because I don't want to be that rude person all my life. People might have their own views and opinions on certain things but in today's society nobody will care what you think. They won't lose sleep over what we think. They are just going to move on with their lives and act like nothing ever happened. Biases may seem like we might be racist or sexist but we all don't think that way. It might just they acts that they think they see. DaBulls456
ReplyDeleteInteresting video and very eye opening. Everyone on this earth has at some point thought, say, and act on certain biases that they have. Society is a tricky thing, and its almost impossible to be bias free. Ill admit there are times when im out in public and I see a situation or someone and I will immediately draft up this huge story in my head, as to why this person is doing what they are doing or why they look what they look like. There are times where I see a situation and I activley think to myself to NOT judge based on a bias, but it happens anyways. Society has deemed so many norms as to implicit biases, that it can never be overlooked. The first example about the doctors surprised me. This guy was in trouble and they needed to find out what was wrong with him. Because he was black the doctors automatically thought to look for common things like aids, rather than to open up their eyes more and see anything is a possibility and to test in different categories. I just hate looking around and seeing people who look down on poor blacks, illegal immigrants etc and make these harsh judgments that effect them.
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