Once we know and accept we have bias, we can begin to recognize our own patterns of thinking. With awareness and a conscious effort, we have the power to change how we think and to challenge the negative or harmful biases within ourselves.
The term “race,” used infrequently before the 1500s, was used to identify groups of people with a kinship or group connection. The modern-day use of the term “race” is a human invention.
Although race has no genetic or scientific basis, the concept of race is important and consequential. Societies use race to establish and justify systems of power, privilege, disenfranchisement, and oppression.
By Erin N. Winkler, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Research clearly shows that children not only recognize race from a very young age, but also develop racial biases by ages three to five.
This handout is from the "Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing" by Anneliese A. Singh, Ph.D., LPC
To combat racism today, it is necessary to understand the history of the ideology of "race" in order to challenge whiteness as the foundation of racial categories and racism. Source: Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, University of Calgary.