Facilitated by Gwendolyn Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, this breakout session will explore how the unconscious mind shapes our behavior, particularly how implicit biases affect every person and every organization, no matter how socially conscious or racially inclusive we consider ourselves. Participants will take bites out of the elephant in the room by learning how to confront bias constructively.

“I’m not prejudiced” is something we often hear from individuals when confronted with tough issues like racism, cultural bias and the manifestation of different forms of oppression.  Yet we know “Nobody is Born a Bigot” and there is no genetic string that makes somebody prejudice.  So, how does oppression come to be?   Did we learn something growing up?  Who taught us stereotypes and derogatory words? And how were they reinforced?  Within a broad framework of social oppression and liberation explore several disciplinary lenses through which dialogue about oppression can occur. Learn the conceptual framework upon which to base efforts to understand how systems of oppression are constructed and maintained.  Participants will be able to challenge these systems in their personal and professional lives.