Diversity Week 2019: Dr. Christina Edmondson hosts convocation on implicit biases

Everyone has it — implicit bias — but it is what we do with it that counts.

Students explored implicit bias about diversity from psychological and theological perspectives at a Diversity Week convocation Wednesday morning hosted by Dr. Christina Edmondson, dean of intercultural student development at Calvin College.

Though it might be hard to come to terms with, Edmondson made sure to clarify how our brains work when it comes to bias.

“We’ve got things in our brains that are inconsistent with our ideal selves,” she said.

Students learned how implicit bias creates preconceived ideas about people, and how when things don’t fit these ideas, our brains get frustrated.

Though these biases seem harsh, they can be corrected through meditation and personal brain engagement, she said.

“Our minds need to be constantly engaged, constantly corrected and constantly checked.”

A list of other events during Diversity Week can be found here.

This article and photos by Chloe Eberhardt.