HUNTSVILLE – A traveling exhibition discussing the social science and psychology of implicit bias will be in Huntsville next month. It is the first time the program will be in Alabama.
The City of Huntsville and the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology are hosting “The Bias Inside Us” from April 24 through May 20.
“The City of Huntsville is excited to help host ‘The Bias Inside Us,’ a Smithsonian exhibition that will spark thoughtful conversations that inspire and challenge us to build a better community and world,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “As the largest municipality in Alabama and the U.S. News and World Report’s No. 1 City in the United States to live in, we are fortunate to be the first in the state to host this traveling exhibit.
“We are hopeful our community will embrace the exhibition and use the experience to help us create a more just, equitable city.”
Through compelling images, hands-on interactives and powerful testimonials and videos, the exhibition unpacks and demystifies the concept of bias. The project is part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), which features six sections: Introduction, The Science of Bias, Bias in Real Life, Serious Consequences – Bias is All Around Us, #RetrainYourBrain and Personal Reflection.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the City to host the Bias Inside Us exhibition as an opportunity for the Huntsville community to engage in meaningful dialogue around the science and history of bias,” said Dr. Neil Lamb, president of HudsonAlpha. “We invite everyone to visit our campus in Cummings Research Park and take advantage of this unique Smithsonian experience.”
Visiting “The Bias Inside Us” is free. Visitors will participate in a self-guided tour exploring the foundational blocks of bias, the psychology of how bias forms and how it influences behaviors both consciously and unconsciously. The exhibit will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. Each Tuesday, the exhibit will remain open until 7 p.m. Groups of 20 or more are encouraged to preregister at hudsonalpha.org/biasinsideus.
Interactive elements will display how implicit and explicit bias shows up in the world and how bias influences systems and policies that have consequences for many people and communities. Among the videos in the exhibition is a series that features eight voices from diverse perspectives sharing personal experiences with bias.
The exhibition also features Spanish photographer Angélica Dass’ Humanae project, which reflects on the color of skin that challenges the concept of race. In this work, Dass documents humanity’s true colors through portraits, rather than the labels “white,” “red,” “black” and “yellow.”
“Bias is part of being human,” said Myriam Springuel, director of SITES and Smithsonian Affiliations. “Our goal through ‘The Bias Inside Us’ is to help individuals understand and counter their implicit bias and help communities thrive through conversation and greater understanding.”
“The Bias Inside Us” draws from the scientific research and educational work by psychologists Mahzarin R. Banaji of Harvard University and Anthony G. Greenwald, professor emeritus at the University of Washington. They defined the term “implicit bias” through their work on unconscious and conscious mental processes.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.
