The Smithsonian Institution, committed to leading and encouraging civil dialogue on important issues facing our nation and the world, is leading a community engagement project called The Bias Inside Us. Our goal is to help visitors understand and counter their implicit biases and to convene dialogue that will increase empathy and create more inclusive schools, communities, and workplaces.
The four-year project, developed with a national advisory council and Smithsonian experts, is a community engagement effort that considers the connections between implicit bias and group dynamics, how they can lead to explicit acts of bias and hatred by individuals and whole societies, and what we as individuals can do about it.
“The Bias Inside Us” features a traveling exhibition that serves as the centerpiece for local programs and activities. Through compelling images, hands-on interactives and powerful testimonials and videos, the exhibition unpacks and demystifies the concept of bias. The exhibition features six sections: Introduction, The Science of Bias, Bias in Real Life, Serious Consequences—Bias is All Around Us, #RetrainYourBrain and Personal Reflection.
Visitors will explore the foundational blocks of bias, the psychology of how it forms and how it influences behaviors both consciously and unconsciously. Interactive elements display how implicit and explicit bias show up in the world and how bias influences systems and policies that have consequences for many people and communities. The primary audience for the exhibition is middle school to young adults (11- to 25-year-olds).
The Bias Inside Us is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Major support is provided by The Otto Bremer Trust.
Come and explore The Bias Inside Us at St. Philip’s College Cybersecurity Innovations Center. Exhibit hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 12 PM to 4 PM. The exhibit runs through November 17. Admission is free.
Be sure to check our event calendar for accompanying programs.
Be sure to check our event calendar for accompanying programs.