"I know faces, because I look through the fabric my own eye weaves, and behold the reality beneath." The prophet/poet Khalil Gibran wrote those words many years ago.
Yesterday, I led a training session for the team at Central City Opera in Central City, Colorado. We explored unconscious and personal biases and their influence on our perception of the world and the environments we shape. It dawned on me that many of us fail to notice the multitude of beautiful faces we encounter on the streets daily.
Following our training session, I took a moment to reflect as Khalil Gibran suggested, seeking to perceive faces through the fabric of my own eyes and understand the reality that lies beneath.
So I took to the streets in search of faces and their stories. With each new person I met, instead of trying to craft my narratives from personal biases, I shaped a story from what I had learned from a past conversation with the late Della Reese.
I met Della at an event I sponsored many years ago, and we had kept in touch sporadically until shortly before her passing. Upon meeting me, she remarked, "You are so beautiful." I responded with a smile and a thank you. She went on to say, "But it's a beauty that has been woven into your soul."
So, on my walk yesterday, I looked at each face I encountered and searched for the beauty of that face's soul.
On my walk, I discovered more about my soul than those of the people I encountered on the streets. It was a journey towards understanding my biases. Recognizing that our biases are shaped by the faces we see, we craft our reality around them.
Upon returning to my car, I swiftly noted five observations that shed light on my personal biases during that walk:
I immediately recognized the bias.
Our minds often leap to assumptions, and I intentionally observed any that arose in my thoughts.
I questioned the origins of these biases within my own experiences.
I considered how my consumption of social media influenced my judgments.
As a black woman, I acknowledged my privilege in some of the faces I encountered and chose to share my biases, which is why I am writing this blog today.
As we step into a new week, I hope you, like me, will gaze into the faces of those you meet and question whether you are projecting your reality (biases) onto their souls.
Attention Bias
What is attention bias? Attention bias is our tendency to prioritize certain types of stimuli/information over others. At any given moment, an individual's senses can perceive countless stimuli in our immediate surroundings. Threat-related attention bias refers to the tendency to prioritize the processing of threats over benign or neutral stimuli. Is it no wonder we have biases related to race, ethnicity, disability, and more?
Each of us individually generates more information than ever before in human history. We take in almost 90,000 pieces of information daily, yet our brains can only filter in about 10 percent of that information. The rest, well is stored in our subconscious minds and often when we perceive a threat we act upon it.
How do you perceive the world around you and how can you understand your attention bias?
The WEBB Advisory Group Presents
The WEBB Center For Social Impact was developed and designed from more than 50 years of lived experience as a Black Woman in America.
Focusing on domestic policy specifically, our institute provides a global worldview perspective for black and brown women from the diaspora living in America today.
Using research data, lived experiences, and stories of impact, policymakers and leaders can understand the social impacts various policies have on black and brown children and women, today and tomorrow.
In response to various incidents in our country's recent history, history mustn't repeat itself. Therefore, the WEBB Center For Social Impact strives to provide voter information, information on issues for policymakers, information for community activists, and information for anyone who seeks to understand the social impacts of public policy on individuals and communities.
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Prayer for the Week
Dear God,
Help me to see the people and the faces I meet each day with eyes of grace. Lead me beyond my biases and help me to see the beauty, and dignity of each soul in your image.
Amen.
"Inspiring Humans...Changing Communities."
"And So It Goes..." is a weekly blog post. We welcome the voices of all people. Are you interested in writing for us? Let us know.
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