Bias Interrupted

CHAPTER 4

Why do some groups need to be politically savvier to succeed?

“I have learned that … as a woman, I can’t get away with as much as a man.”

—White woman

Black NFL players’ victory dances result in higher yardage penalties and lower pay than white players’ dances do.1 This is emblematic of the fact that some groups can get away with more—sometimes a lot more—than others. “I have found that it is much more accepted for a male to be aggressive. Many professors will even kick the doors and everything, and nobody seems to care about that. I can guarantee if a female does it, they will feel that she’s crazy,” said a Latina engineer. Sometimes it doesn’t need to escalate to door-kicking to raise eyebrows: “I strongly believe that my assertiveness ...