Understanding bias

     Recently I watched a TED talk about diversity and bias.  It was very interesting to think of my own bias'.  Outwardly I would like to think that I don't have bias' but I know that subconsciously I have several.  There are so many stereotypes that I have ingrained in myself that I was unaware of until after I watched this video.  I look at homeless people who stand on the street corner with signs asking for help and I think that they are most likely uneducated and lazy.  I have seen those same people get into nicer cars than I drive and I automatically think that all of the people are the same.  I need to realize that not everyone with a sign is lazy and just wanting to con hardworking people out of their dollar bills.  There are bad people in every group.  People who take advantage of others are not just the homeless on the street corner.  A small number of people have influenced my outlook on the entire group.
     I live in a very rural, middle class, white-dominated society currently, but I have lived in Namibia. The culture of Namibia is predominately black and poor.  The racial hatred in Africa runs deep, not only between white and black but all shades of black against one another.  There is a class system defined by the shade of your skin.  There were times when I was uncomfortable being a white woman in situations.  I was the minority in almost every situation I was in.  They looked at me with distrust and sometimes aggression for being white and being female.  It was a different and sometimes frustrating situation to be stereotyped for my race and gender.  Looking back, I am glad that I lived there and was able to experience discrimination so that I understand how people feel who are discriminated against.  I walked in this shoes for a time and it gave me compassion for the cause.  I wish I could say it changed my subconscious bias'.  I may have compassion, but I would still hold my purse tighter when faced with a lone black man in a parking garage.  It is frustrating to me that I have had no bad experiences with another race, or social or economical class, but I still harbor feelings that must have come from the media or another source that has taken hold in my subconscious.
     I am currently taking an education 2204 class that is required for my education degree but I found myself enjoying immensely.  It has brought up several questions that are hard subjects to tackle, but need to be.  The way we treat people is such an important topic that needs to be taken from the intellectual discussion to practice in real life.  I believe that the most important thing I have taken from this class is that everyone is an individual.  We may be Chinese, Hispanic, Muslim, poor, educated, uneducated, whatever our labels, we are individuals first.  Everyone is a person, with hopes, dreams, struggles and bias'.  If we would treat others with empathy and compassion, the world would be a better place.