Contact Theory, A Solution to Damaging Stereotypes

How do we get over the learned fears and biases we against entire groups of people? It’s a big question that Heather McGhee – President of the public policy organization Demos – has a simple, beautiful answer to: Get to know them. It’s called Contact Theory – but don’t let the fancy name turn you off. It’s as simple as this: “We are still a very, very segregated country. Millions of white Americans live in places where they rarely see anyone of a different race,” McGhee told a caller on C-SPAN who wanted advice on how to overcome his racial bias. “We have to get to know who one another actually is. And we’re always, I think, as Americans, surprised when we build relationships across race.” Studies show that, for example, the nightly news can present a very skewed picture of race and crime. So exposure in the opposite direction can help mitigate those effects. So here’s the deal. If you find yourself with a negative opinion or idea of a group of people then do yourself a solid and get to know some of those folks. Chances are you’re going to find that they’re just as human and complex and are just trying their best to navigate our big wide world. And that’s what’s so rad about overcoming bias – it just takes a little curiosity, and willingness to learn, to bust stereotypes wide open. Share this piece, then let’s get crackin’.