Reading the article in Chapter 6 on the unconscious bias in America literally “opened my eyes.” The article stated that an advocacy group found that African Americans were less likely to be offered a job. But the more interesting thing that this group concluded was that it is not an obvious prejudice or discrimination, but an unconscious thought process. Using a tool called the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tool researchers found that when people were shown images of the different race there was a chemical reaction that normally occurs only with a perceived threat. They said that the speed of the reaction was so fast that it indicated there could be no “cognitive processing of the information” which concluded that the bias had to be unconscious.
Another thing that I found very interesting was that this bias was not only present in Caucasians but African Americans as well. It’s interesting to note that fact because researchers also commented on the fact that African Americans are portrayed negatively in many media outlets including movies, TV, and the nightly news. I agree that not only the media, but in history, African Americans have a negative portrayal and it’s amazing to think that a high percentage of Americans have an unconscious bias above and beyond any formed opinions. I also think that it’s crucial to HR Managers to take in this information and adjust for what might be happening. They need to adapt to these changes and find ways to try and eliminate theses biases. But can they? My guess is no. If these reactions are subconscious, realistically it is going to be hard to maintain the proper protocol for hire employees.
Lastly, I believe that it’s the responsibility of the media outlets externally and even HR Managers to internally try and portray African Americans in a more positive light. This would not only improve the hiring process, but hopefully help with the obvious prejudice and discrimination that has plagued this country for over 100 years.
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