Though I have heard many times about the Implicit Bias tests available through Harvard, I had actually not looked them up before today. I felt a little apprehensive, anxious, and curious as I started the tests. Due to my background and the privilege I carry I was pretty sure I would come out biased towards lighter skin, white, and European Ancestry but I really wanted to be wrong. I’ve always had trouble admitting my biases because I don’t want them to be there. However, I know that acknowledging and exploring them is part of the process of becoming a better anti-racist ally. My results came out mostly as I expected except with the race implicit biased test. In this test I ended up with a slight preference towards black over white. This was surprising to me. I’m not sure if it relates to all of the reading and listening I’ve been doing lately or if it’s a fluke or what. In the end I don’t think the exact results matter that much-it’s more important that they’ve encouraged me to think deeply about the implicit biases I do have and better educate myself so that I can self correct when they come up.
Terry, thank you for writing this. I have been thinking about investigating these "tests" and appreciate your response.