A student asked me, “What does implicit bias look like? Give me some examples.”
Everyone is impacted by implicit bias — Secretary Clinton assured us during the first debate this year. Many of us have visited the Implicit Bias website, taken the exam, and were stunned by the results. Implicit bias discussions assume that we all know that racism is a part of the very cultural fabric in which we live in the United States. Racism goes unnoticed, ignored, or denied.
Implicit bias suggests that racism becomes much like the air in which we breathe … normal. What does normal look like? I used my own height privilege to describe to the student what implicit bias, or unearned privilege, might look and feel like.
I am tall and I know that I am afforded certain privileges just for being tall. Most leaders of corporations, both public and private, are tall. That reinforces my potential career trajectory. Of course I am a dean and more than likely could become a college president. I have the unearned privilege of height to assist me. Height is a sign of power and authority.
Height privilege sends clear messages to tall people that they possess something special in terms of leadership capabilities and perhaps general intelligence. My height adds significantly to my lifetime earning potential. In fact, that is exactly what I have come to know from research.
My height privilege tells me every day that this world complements and appreciates my height in very explicit and implicit ways. People assume that, because one is tall, they are great at sports, even if they never played or were not good at any sport. You do not have to be that good; you just have to be tall. And, if you never played, that is OK, because you would have been good, because you are tall. In fact, most athletes in most sports are tall. Models are tall. Models are pretty. The unearned privilege of height is ubiquitous. Sometimes pretty, good looking, handsome also mean tall.
Oh it’s great to be tall. Tall people are complimented because they have long limbs. A normal part of my day includes, “I wish I had your long legs!” People naturally assume that I can jump higher, and run faster — after all, I am tall.
