Walking Papers

Labor and employment attorney Michael Morrison wants you to know there’s a difference between being racist and being implicitly biased. “Racism is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities, and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race,” he says in this episode of The Walking Papers podcast. “Bias, on the other hand, is … the subjective preference toward a particular viewpoint or belief that prevents a person from maintaining objectivity.”  In this episode, the Van Kampen Law attorney expands on discrimination, sharing his opinion that the lines between discrimination and implicit bias blur when an individual becomes aware of yet indifferent to the negative outcomes of their bias. Michael also breaks down why biases occur naturally (spoiler: all of us make most decisions subconsciously); how they play out in the workplace and in the legal system; and how to overcome them.  “Implicit biases can skew talent and performance reviews