.cross.wired.mind.

With the passing of Rosa Parks we have lost a living connection to the birth of the modern civil rights movement. Her simple act of defiance was a spark that led to a firestorm of change. But did things change enough? One need look no further than the LA riots of 1992 and the recent results of hurricane Katrina to see the outward signs that racism is an unresolved issue.

Many people would like to think that racism has gone away. They pay lip service to diversity. They eat food from different cultures, enjoy a ride through “It’s a Small World“, and might even have some [insert racial minority] friends. They think that they are not racist because they do not hate anyone because of the color of their skin. Racism is not always about hate. Racism can also be about apathy and a lack of true appreciation of our common humanity.

Yes, the civil rights movement created great progress, but mostly in a legal sense and then only at the most basic level. We now have legal equality, but that has not resulted in the systemic change required to create true justice for the victims of racism. The clear lack of government action in response to hurricane Katrina is the clearest indication that institutionalized racism continues to plague human relations.

That is the key - its all about human relations. As individuals we lack a sense of justice, a willingness to demonstrate respect, and an ability to express brotherly love when it comes to those whose skin color, accent, or social class does not match our own. Racism is a disease of the spirit. It is an attitude that lives in our subconscious. It is fed by the media and spreads like a virus in our culture of fear.

When faced with the reality of racism and the continued pain it inflicts on my fellow human beings I cannot help but mourn for all of humanity. I feel compelled to act. I try to do what I can do. I participate in diversity activities at work. I serve on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday committee for my community. None of that helps. The only thing that does help me is to act everyday to be mindful of race and the part it plays in our lives. I remember the words and deeds of the Central Figures of my faith, and I am encouraged to press on. I see the words and deeds of the people that stood up for civil rights and I see that determined acts, even very simple ones, can make a difference.

This is why Rosa Parks was so important. She was a person who simply stood her ground when the forces of hate and separation tried to force all people of color into a place of second class citizenry. She was an example of a human being who placed justice above all else. I am glad that she has become the first woman to ever lie in state in our nation’s capitol. Her life and her courage are an example for all of us. Let’s hope that this, her final act of defiance, can be another spark.

Just to level set - I see the world through the filter of my Faith. I often make cross connections to quotes from scripture or ideas contained in the teachings of the Baha’i Faith.

I try not to be too preachy but its hard to keep faith out of my thoughts, and therefore out of my posts.

The most important thing to know is that while I hold strong religious convictions I do not, and will not, impose them on others, nor will I judge people based on my personal faith. So, if you can live with a little religiousity from me I will try not to make you feel like I stand in judgement of you or your beliefs, whatever they may be.

Its the golden rule.

I am in the process of reading Malcolm Gladwell’s book blink. In chapter three he talks about the “Warren Harding error” where we make a subconscious snap judgment and then stop thinking about it. We allow the subconscious to make a value judgment and never revisit our decision. The reason it is called the “Warren Harding error” is because of the process that got him elected President of the United States.

Warren Harding was a strikingly handsome man. People would see him and they would assume that he was a true leader and an insightful politician. Turns out he was arguably the worst President we have ever elected. The evidence was there to suggest he was going to be a horrible President.

He talks about and provides samples of the IAT (Implicit Association Test). The IAT uses a technique that measures the time it takes to sort a list of terms into columns. Each column is give a pair of values. So for instance one column is “Male or Career” and the other “Female or Family”. The terms are names like John or Holly and terms like capitalist or laundry. The test measures the time it takes to sort the terms into the columns. The test is then taken again with the column pairings switched so that one column is “Male or Family” and the other “Female or Career”. The terms and names become harder to sort. The reason is that our culture has built into us a subconscious implicit association between “Male and Career” and “Female and Family”.

The test is also run on the term pairs “European American or Good” and “African American or Bad” and the opposite pairing “European America or Bad” and “African American and Good”. Te results of this test are staggering to consider. People who say that the are in no way shape or form racist still hold a closer association between European American and Good and African American and Bad. This was true regardless of the conscious opinion of race held by the participant. Of the 50,000 participants who were African American about 50% of them held a strong association between European American and Good and African American and Bad. This speaks volumes about the cultural climate and the value our society places on race.

As it turns out there is a way to shift the opinions uncovered by the IAT. The best way to avoid the “Warren Harding error” is to expose ourselves to positive associations. For example, by studying the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. or Nelson Mandela we can prime ourselves to make a stronger association between African American and Good. By exposing ourselves to the best of other cultures we can actually effect our subconscious bias.

After reading this chapter of blink I recalled one of my favorite quotes from the writings of my faith (its the Baha’i Faith for those that do not know). The quote is from Baha’u'llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith.

He wrote :

O CHILDREN OF MEN!

Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.

The key phrase in that quote is “Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created.” The Writings of Baha’u'llah are filled with reminders to think about or meditate upon a connection or condition or action that will be helpful, or that will eliminate a prejudice, or that will increase the capacity ogf the individual to serve humanity.

Faith can focus our minds on positive connections, on the elimination of bias. The trick is that we must be ever mindful to fight the messages that bombard us on a daily basis. We must overcome the negative with a mindful thought of the positive. Abdu’l-Baha, the son of Baha’u'llah and a central figure in the Baha’i Faith said:

I charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all harmony, well-being, restfulness and content.

Thoughts of love are constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness.

Regardless of a person’s Faith or their belief (or non-belief) in God, I think that there is a truth in this that cognitive science is beginning to see. Our thoughts and our experiences create deep subconscious reactions that we cannot control or alter except through a mindful effort to foster positive perceptions.

I think I am going to read about MLK or maybe Saladin to wash away some of the negativity building up in my subconscious.