The Elephant and the Mouse

Chapter 6We Are All Human, with Help from Nonhumans

If we assume that humans are an amalgam of characteristics, some useful and some not so useful, then we all need help, particularly in a world that is diverse and seeks to have everyone feel included while sharing a sense of communal equity. The basic assumption is that we have unconscious and conscious beliefs about who other people are and we react based on those beliefs, assumptions, and archetypes. Much controversy exists around whether we can truly eliminate bias from our internal psyches.

In their seminal Harvard Business Review article, Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev argue that it is futile to continue the exercise of unconscious bias training and that these trainings can actually make situations worse.¹ Some White people end up feeling that the very presence of diversity efforts means that they are being treated unfairly. Anti‐bias training can embed stereotypes rather than eliminate them. People who go through these trainings feel they have license not to embrace diversity by the very fact they have gone through the training. (Think: I can eat French fries because I drank a diet soft drink.)

As Brogiin Keeton points out, “If you are leveling the playing field, then you are taking away an unfair advantage. It doesn't necessarily mean you're adding a headwind to cis White males, if I'm going to pick on that population, ...