Lindsay, who became the first Black Bachelorette ever in 2017, previously spoke out against Harrison’s defense of Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s past racist actions. Lindsay said on Extra that she was “stunned” after Harrison urged people to “have a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion” for Kirkconnell after photos of the contestant surfaced that showed her at a plantation-themed ball and dressed up as a Native American. Kirkconnell had also liked several racially insensitive posts, including one that featured women posing in front of a confederate flag. Lindsay told Extra that “there was no apology” from Harrison after her interview with him until the backlash started brewing, and that she will “need that time and space and compassion that he referenced to really accept the apology, because [Harrison wasn’t] apologetic at first.” Lindsay also said that it was “the right decision” for Harrison to step back from his role as host of The Bachelor franchise. “He needs to take time to get educated and on a profound and productive level, to use his words,” she said. Thinking back on the conversation she had with Harrison last week, she said, “I wasn’t shocked at the content of what he was saying, it was just more of the fact that he was saying it in public, where other people can hear what you think, and your, your thoughts may be a bit controversial, but I remember also thinking, ‘This is something that needs to be heard. This is something that needs to be seen.’ And I felt a duty.” She continued, “When you think of racism, you think of explicit racism—you think, wearing a white hood, you know? Saying things that are derogatory or offensive. That’s explicit racism, but then there’s implicit racism where you have these unconscious biases and stereotypes and misconceptions of certain groups, and that’s what we were seeing in that interview. I think it was a moment for people to recognize what was being said and to learn and grow from it, which is what we’re seeing happen now with Chris.” Lindsay’s comments have raised some questions about racism, and you may have some yourself. Here’s what you need to know.
What is implicit racism?
Implicit racism, also referred to as implicit bias, is a term used to describe thoughts and feelings people have about a person or group of people that they’re not conscious of, according to the Perception Institute. “It’s important to know that white people in the United States live in a highly segregated world,” says Henry Louis Taylor Jr., Ph.D., director of the Center for Urban Studies at the University at Buffalo. As a result, he says, “what most whites know about people of color is what they have read in the paper, seen on TV, or viewed in movies. That allows them to forge ideas and viewpoints that might be quite racist and they’re not aware of it.” Implicit racism “often finds confirmation in how society is structured. That is, if we implicitly believe that people of color are inferior, then economic inequality will ‘confirm’ that implicit racism,” says Gabriel Torres Colón, Ph.D., a cultural anthropologist with research and teaching interests in race, politics, sports and intellectual history at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Taylor cites examples like a police officer shooting a Black person for reaching for something during a traffic stop or a teacher subconsciously viewing a Black teenager as being “too aggressive or angry” while not having the same impression of a white teen who acts the same way.
What is explicit racism?
Explicit racism, a.k.a. explicit bias, describes the attitudes and beliefs that you have about a person or group of people on a conscious level, the Perception Institute says. Explicit racism is often what people think of when they think of racism. “Nowadays, explicit racism is associated with racist ideologies,” Dr. Colón says. “These ideologies are conscious ideas that generally have two propositions: One, humans can be divided into biological races, and two, non-white races are inferior to white races.” “People are aware" when they’re engaging in explicit racism, Dr. Taylor says. And, he adds, people who are aware of the explicit racist thoughts they have are often “prone toward operating on them.” That may include voting for a person they think will be tougher on minority groups or deliberately taunting or targeting people of color based on their race.
What can people do to fight their own implicit racism?
Being aware that implicit racism exists is crucial, Dr. Taylor says. But, he adds, it’s also important for people to “engage in a lot of self-education.” “I think every white person should have a book on Blacks and Latinx that they read,” Dr. Taylor says. He specifically cites the book, Black Power: The Politics of Liberation, as a good option. Dr. Taylor also urges businesses and schools to host workshops on the issues of racism and bias. “The level of awareness about these kinds of issues is terrible,” he says. Dr. Colón says that “a lot of people seem to recognize ‘systemic racism’ as something that is real.” But, he says, “the problem is that systems permeate all aspects of our lives. So, systemic racism is in the family, at work and in spaces of leisure. Taking responsibility across all of these spaces often means doing more than acknowledging the systemic nature of racism; It means realizing the implicit racism is the metaphorical fuel of systemic racism.” Harrison said in an Instagram post on Saturday that he is “ashamed” at how “uninformed” he was, adding, “I was so wrong.” He continued, “This is not just a moment, but a commitment to much greater understanding that I will actively make every day.” He ended on this note: “From here, I can only try to evolve and be a better man, and I humble myself before all of you. I hope I will again live up to the expectations you all rightly have for me and the expectations that I have for myself.” Next, find out who we think might replace Chris Harrison while he’s gone.
