From “The Air We Breathe: Implicit Bias And Police Shootings,” we learn about the way most people hold some degree of implicit racial bias. Though it is not the same as racism, the two are related. Implicit biases can influence the way that people behave toward the members of a certain societal group. In her TED talk, Nita Mosby Tyler talks about how in order for justice to prevail, people must be willing to talk about the social injustices that they witness. She also states that the people on the receiving end of these injustices need to be willing to accept the help that is provided by these allies. This relates to the podcast because when people willingly fight against injustices that do not involve them, they must put aside any implicit biases they may have. Putting aside these implicit biases allows people to adjust their perspective and see them from the other side.

Growing up as a part of the minority in America, I always felt scared to speak up about certain issues when I was younger. I felt that if I were to speak out against people then the tables would turn on me. However, whenever these feelings begin to surface, I think about how I felt after the 9/11 attacks. Being Muslim in America was extremely scary and as a child, it was hard for me to understand discrimination. It was even harder for me to understand why these people around me – some of who I thought were my friends – never stood up for me. It makes me realize how important it is to speak out against the social injustices that I see around me regardless of if they are directed at me or “my kind”. My reluctance to speak out about these issues could be taken as acceptance that what was happening was okay. While I try to speak out as much as possible, I am aware that there is so much more that I can do.  I always felt that if I was donating money to a cause or talking about it privately among friends and family, then it was enough and that I was doing my part. Nita Mosby Tyler makes an important point when she says that involving yourself in situations inspires others to do the same. This makes me realize that speaking out publicly on these issues is also a big part of making a change.