In the Ted talk “Want a more just world? Be an unlikely ally”, Nita Mosby Tyler talks about how change only happens if unlikely allies stand up against injustice, even if the issue does not directly impact them. She talks about how major movements in the United States would not be successful if not for the unlikely allies. It is also important for unlikely allies to act because while people may not understand why they are supporting a cause, they may serve as inspiration for others to stand up as well. Justice and equality require everyone to work together, not just the people impacted.

In the  “The Air we breathe: Implicit Bias and Police Shootings” podcast, Shanker discusses how in cases such as Terence Crutcher’s shooting, the police that shoot him may not even be racist, but are affected by implicit bias. Instead of focusing solely on the police, it is important to look at the communities they are part of as well. Based on the IAT test made by a psychology professor at Harvard, test subjects have been shown to have an easier time associating white with good than black with good. In communities, it has also been shown that the amount of implicit bias correlates with the amount of police shootings. Another psychologist from Cornell created a video game test in which subjects were asked to shoot photos of white and black people holding different objects. When tested on the police, they found that police were able to assert some cognitive control over their biases. However, in real situations, police may find it difficult to overcome this bias in a stressful situation in which their lives may be in danger. This implicit bias can even be found in doctors, which give varying amounts of prescription based on the skin color of their patients. This comes to show how implicit bias is a societal issue and that the individual reactions of police can’t be resolved unless the community as a whole is taught to overcome implicit bias.

The Ted talk made me feel kind of guilty about my lack of activism when it comes to certain issues because I’ve always had the mindset that it’s not very relevant to me and that there’s no reason for me to participate. However, I can see why it matters that I show my support because justice and equality can only be achieved through the help of unlikely allies. I also learned that implicit bias does play a role in my mindset and perhaps, it’s also who causes me to not stand up for certain issues. It’s important for me to try to overcome my implicit bias and be a supportive member of my society.