Unconscoius bias & fair housing 101

Our brains process information differently. When making important life decisions, we weigh a few factors deliberately (slowly). But for hundreds of other factors, we must rely on intuitive judgment — and we weigh these unconsciously (quickly). Even if in our slow thinking we work to avoid discrimination, it can easily creep into our fast thinking. Our snap judgments rely on all the associations we have — from fictional television shows to news reports and use stereotypes (both the accurate and the inaccurate), including those we want to use and ones we find incompatible with our conscious values. The key to "fast thinking" discrimination is that we all share it. Good intentions do not guarantee immunity. In order to understand how, despite our best intentions, we discriminate in ways big and small, we need to examine the sources of our biases, the way they affect our perceptions and ultimately our behavior, and develop strategies for overcoming them.

More information: Colleen Lee, 802.859.8807, Lee@cathedralsquare.org, Registration

Cost: $100 (VHMA and GSMA members), $150 (non-members).