Forum on Implicit Bias Thursday Hosted by My Brother's Keeper New Rochelle

From My Brother's Keeper New Rochelle: We are all biased. The question is: To what extent does our bias affect others?

Dr. Bryant Marks, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Morehouse College and a national expert on Implicit Bias, will give a free 90-minute presentation on Implicit Bias on Thursday, October 5th at 5:30 pm at New Rochelle High School’s Whitney Young Auditorium. Refreshments will be served before the presentation and a Question-and-Answer period will follow the talk.

“Biases held by police officers, physicians, prosecutors and criminal court judges can literally determine whether someone lives or dies,” writes Dr. Bryant Marks, who is also the Director of the Program for Research on Black Male Achievement.

Biased viewpoints held by bank officers, real estate brokers or teachers can undermine the potential of a family or a child. “It is possible, however, to implement practices or policies that limit the likelihood that implicitly biased beliefs will lead to biased behaviors,” asserts Dr. Marks.

“We are grateful to Dr. Marks for offering suggestions to our community members about steps we can all take to make sure our biases don’t have negative consequences for others,” says Councilman Jared Rice, co-chair of MBKNewRo. “In these volatile times, we need to be more mindful than ever about our own biases and proactive about making sure that the biases of those in powerful positions don’t harm specific populations, including our MBK boys and young men of color.”

Dr. Marks has provided Implicit Bias training to more than 1,400 Police Chiefs and several thousand patrol officers in police departments across the country, including the entire Los Angele Police Department.

On April 29th, 2015, New Rochelle became the first community in Westchester County to accept President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Challenge. Seven additional communities in the Lower Hudson Valley and another 250 cities and towns across the country have joined the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which is designed to help all students flourish, particularly boys and young men of color.

My Brother’s Keeper New Rochelle (MBKNewRo) is a unique partnership between the City of New Rochelle and the School District and is supported by more than 120 community partners and 100 volunteers. MBKNewRo has launched or implemented more than two dozen events, programs and activities to help students make progress in all six of the Milestones outlined in this cradle-to-career initiative.

To learn more about MBKNewRo, please visit the initiative’s website at mbknewro.com or follow the group’s posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To volunteer or donate, please write to info@mbknewro.com.

Images via My Brother’s Keeper New Rochelle