Showing unconscious biases the red card

I’ve been thinking a lot about education recently. Not least because I am an ambassador for The Kenyatta Trust, a non-profit organisation which aims to transform lives through teaching.

October is always a time of reflection for me. It’s the month where we remember and celebrate black history.  

But not just that. We also use it to show others what it means to be black and the discrimination that many black people still face. 

Take football for instance. In the wake of the Euro 2020 final in the summer, I wrote an article about the issue of racism in football and how we can tackle it.  

But the issue remains rife.1 And I’m not just talking about racist chanting at games or abusive messages on social media. Racism can be far more subtle than that. And even accidental.  

Unconscious bias is a growing issue in sport (and the wider world).

Unconscious bias – social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. 

In football, this could mean commentators speaking about black players differently to how they would about their white teammates. A study in 2020 found that on average, white players are more likely to be praised by commentators for their ‘football intelligence’, while black players were more likely to be praised for their physical attributes.2 

It could mean black managers being overlooked for top jobs, or referees allowing race to influence their decisions. And it could mean black players having their race referred to online and in the media, even in a supposed positive sense, when the same would never happen to white players.  

It’s a similar story in the world of business.  

In 2019, researchers looking into name bias applied multiple times for the same job. They used different names, but otherwise identical CVs and cover letters. 24% of applications that appeared to come from white people received a positive response. Yet the same could only be said for 15% of applications with typically ethnic minority names.3  

Gender biases are a problem as well. Certain roles have historically been assumed to be more suitable for men or women. Plus, women are likely to be paid less than their male colleagues, and are less likely to be considered for a senior or technical role.4 

In more serious cases, unconscious bias in the workplace can lead to workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination. And that would obviously have massive reputational ramifications for any business. 

So how do we solve the issue of unconscious bias? From all the suggestions I’ve seen, my friend Rio’s answer is the best, as well as also being the simplest. 

“Education is key to a more inclusive world.” – Rio Ferdinand 

I love this thought. It’s so true. We all want to live in a world free from prejudice. To get there, we have to teach people about their biases if we want them to change. Not just castigate them.  

Rio has been working a lot to promote education during Black History Month, mainly with movements like Hope United.  

He started by educating himself on the Windrush generation, what they went through and how they changed the face of football. Now he’s showing others how to act with respect online, how to call out hate and biases, and how we can all be the best versions of ourselves. 

Dealing with explicit prejudice is one thing. But implicit biases can be harder to address. Because by their very nature, they’re unconscious and so therefore less easy to recognise and accept.  

That’s why we need to do more to educate workforces about unconscious biases and promote inclusive cultures.  

We can make a start while we’re still in Black History Month. Help management to see how biases can affect their hiring, promotions and business decisions. Request training sessions, and encourage the business to adopt new policies, processes and frameworks that promote diversity. 

By doing this, you can help to ensure that more diverse ideas are heard. And isn’t that one of the things Black History Month is all about?