Healing Bias

Everyone has biases, yet most people are unable to discuss them openly without feelings of shame, stigma and defensiveness. Although perceived as flaws or a question of one’s character, these biases should be viewed as socially constructed coping mechanisms shaped by trauma, stress and the need to survive. Only when redefined will we be able to have honest conversations about, and reductions in, bias, race and prejudice. Dana Crawford’s Crawford Bias Reduction Theory & Training (CBRT) invites readers on a transformative journey to understand, research and reduce bias at the internal, relational and systemic levels. Her three-pronged approach starts with the awareness phase which focuses on self-reflection and group interaction through empathy, compassion and accountability. The investigation phase will help readers recognise and dissect bias within themselves, with others and in society. Lastly, the reduction phase further develops skills to confront and mitigate bias with exercises like role-play and real-play scenarios. With reflection prompts, personal stories, actionable advice and examples inspired by actual events, Healing Bias translates complex ideas into relatable, empowering solutions that can be used on your own or in group settings. This guide can be used with the Racial Awareness Conversations for Everyone (R. A. C. E.) card deck to enhance self-reflection and group discussion with questions based on the CBRT model.