In the TED Talk “Want a more just world? Be an unlikely ally”, Nita Mosby Tyler discusses the issues and impact of the silence majority on issues such as race, immigration, LGBTQ+ issues, pay equity in the workplace, and more. She expressed the fact that in order for justice to occur, there is a need for unlikely allies. Furthermore, acceptance of these unlikely allies by the struggling community in question is needed for this change to occur, giving the example of how same sex marriage was able to be achieved with the collective effort of heterosexuals and the LGBTQ+ community coming together under that common goal.
The podcast The Air We Breathe: Implicit Bias and Police Shootings examines unconscious bias in society in relation to police shootings against African Americans, such as in the cases of Terrence Crutcher and Amadou Diallo. The unconscious and hidden biases engrained within us because of society’s racial stereotypes was examined through the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The test examined how the associations between the concepts and stereotypes presented in society to everyday people causes them to associate certain races with certain ideas, for example, associating Black people with the idea being threatening.
Both pieces, while using different examples, conveyed a similar message and main idea. The main points I took away from them were that in order for actual change to occur, there is a need for unlikely allies, as well as a change in mindset. Unconscious bias is something that is conditioned into society in so many ways and can be extremely detrimental towards the perception of every day innocent people, just because of the color of their skin. Our actions, and how people view them have such a big impact on perception, so much so that the podcast gives the example of people voting out of fear for a specific presidential candidate in 2020, taking into account more of their character and actions, rather than just their policies.
In terms of actions in my personal life, Tyler’s explanation on the importance of unlikely allies and the podcast’s reveal of unconscious bias made me think about my actions in the past. There have been instances where I have been on both sides of the coin: needing those unlikely allies to help fight change, and also being in the position of an ally to an issue that may not necessarily affect me. However just like anyone, there have been times where there is an issue, and I could have done more to help. Furthermore, there have also been times where I have made unconscious perceptions about people, whether negative or positive based on stereotypes. The podcast and the TED Talk both made me realize how important it is to change our mindset on both of these jarring issues. There is so much wrong in the world that could be righted with unity and awareness. For social justice to occur, everyone needs to fight it whether affected or not, and for change to occur, people need to be aware that there is an issue, acknowledge it, and work to change it.
I like how you gave the example of the podcast talking about the idea of people voting for a specific candidate out of fear in the presidential election. I forgot that the podcast talked about the unconscious perceptions that people make, but I believe that concept is very real in the 2020 election. I also agree that there were times where I could’ve done more to support and fight for different communities, but I continue to try to be more active and show my support to these communities. Well done!
Hi Mana, I feel like the most important thing to know in the end, as you said, is to have a change in mindset. At the end of the Listen podcast, the narrator mentioned that we need to all come together as a community and uproot it together—meaning that everyone will need to undergo a change in mindset. I feel like your last paragraph embodies exactly what the narrator was talking about where you referenced your change in mindset about becoming an unlikely ally. Not only does this help dismantle implicit bias, it also helps to dismantle present injustices.