Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do

Throughout the book, readers see Dr. Eberhardt’s struggle to explore themes of violence and racism while maintaining hope and positivity. The story of Everett plays on her motherly characteristics, the protectiveness and love she has for her son. While she is able to understand “the gymnastics of our mental processing as we sort and judge and categorize,” she is also confronted with the real-life ramifications of human bias in her family. This is the heart of the balancing act that Eberhardt performs throughout the book, juggling science and experience and revealing the ways they are connected. While bias may be a function of culture and cognition, its effects can lead to profound emotions.

Eberhardt advocates for change, a powerful tool in combating bias. She recalls how Oakland’s use of technology and training forced officers to slow down, to think, and to make decisions based upon credible evidence rather than gut instinct. Although implicit bias can be an abstract concept, addressing it in concrete ways leads to tangible outcomes for the many individual stories shared in the book, including Eberhardt’s son, her niece Tanisha, the people of Charlottesville, and the prisoners at San Quentin. In this section, she solidifies what she has tried to do throughout the book, to draw a connecting line between how we think and who we hurt and to provide a path forward.