Sorry in advance, this is going to be a long one!!!

Hi Elle,

I believe, first and foremost, we should be honest with ourselves.

I agree that unconscious bias operates at the deep level of our consciousness. The same way that you and I are now breathing without thinking about our diaphragm expanding.

Also, bias, it seems to me, is a societal construct.

When visiting Germany, I never felt particularly Black, while in Italy, it was a different story.

When in Japan, I felt non-Japanese, but that was it.

In Latin America, I'm Black in a definite manner, but the people who call themselves White in there would be Brown as soon as they make it across any US international border. However, they would still be lighter than me.

Yes, bias is unconscious.

But also, as a Black person is very damaging for me, to think that every single White person is a racist and is up to get me in some way or another.

Believe me. They are there, and I know them.

The biggest problems are microaggressions. The ones that are not easy to prove. The ones that someone feels unease about, but cannot go to HR and say, this person did this-or-that.

I equate this to a female feels the gaze of a male in their chest no matter the attire she uses. Let's give us guys some slack and say we naturally want to check on women's bodies. Now let's say that this guy keeps on lowering his gaze every chance he gets.

That behavior is probably harassment, but good luck to the person to prove that Male X is looking at her chest if he keeps quiet and never makes any verbal comment.

What can we do about this?

I think that call it.

If I would see a coworker engaging in this behavior, I should state the facts.

Sometimes, I think it is more difficult for the victim.

More so, when the victim feels that he/she lost the battle anyway.

To make an effort to interpolate these issues.

For us to try to make an effort and seek to understand, why are the victim and the perpetrator, acting the way they are doing so.

Yes, unconscious bias. Someone takes on the role of perpetrator, then someone takes on the role of victim.

I feel that I don't have much to offer in this discussion, other than at some point, I realized I favor females I consider attractive over others.

I also noticed I favor people who engage and talk with me.

Efforts are being made, to not favor these groups, over others.

Earlier, I mentioned most of us are not thinking about breathing.

The same as we are not thinking about our biases.

But maybe we are breathing the wrong way. You know, we are not taking slow deep breaths and so on.

Maybe it is the same with our biases.

Maybe we need to start thinking about the things that lurk in our subconscious. I know they are not pretty. But once we expose them, we can start making judgments of character in a more rational way.

Because like you, my score was towards a preference of European looking people. And if we keep on making judgment calls base on the color of our skins and nothing else. We are going to make important mistakes.

To conclude, even though it is hard not to have a racial bias in the societal environment of the US today, I'd like to believe that people like you who can come forward and say "I have a racial bias" are part of the solution. And I know it is not easy, especially for people who have not been around other cultures/races. But if we are aware of these things, then next time we go walking down the street and someone who doesn't look like what our parents and social media thought us to be right, we are going to calm ourselves down and tell ourselves, wait a minute, there is no danger here. This person only has a different skin tone than mine.

And in the same way, the next time we see someone that looks like us, we are not going to just believe in them only because they look like someone who we are supposed to trust.

BTW, have you seen Sarah Palin's new investment venture? I got stuck with her this morning while the song was changing on YouTube and I was taking a shower. I don't know what she is selling, but the advertisement was an hour-long.

Hence, I'd like to bet money on the fact that she is using our unconscious bias to trust White people on the fact that it helps her to sell some kind of online investment scheme.

Therefore, let's be honest with ourselves and open our eyes.

Society is like the sea, and it will take many of us to change its chemical composition.

Happy holidays, Elle!

Pablo