Nine department members gathered for our second EDI book club meeting on Oct. 25th. We discussed our reactions, discoveries and questions about the various topics covered in Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, by Anthony Greenwald and Mahzarin Banaji.
The book explores the unconscious biases that all people “carry from a lifetime of exposure to cultural attitudes about age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status and nationality.” We opened the meeting by sharing a bit about our backgrounds, and had open conversation centered on the book. We talked about the potential hidden biases we may have, brainstormed ways we could start to do things differently, and sought to understand the various lenses through which people of unique backgrounds and upbringings see the world.
Thanks to Avani Pendse, MD, PhD, and Wen-Chi Foo, MD, who are hosting the event on behalf of the Committee. If you would like to read the book, you can find a copy at the Duke Library. Also, Amazon offers the audiobook with an Audible subscription. Click here to learn more about the department’s EDI mission and explore available resources.
Book club attendees pictured left to right in photo: William Jeck, MD, PhD, Dr. Foo, Dr. Pendse, Anne Buckley, MD, PhD, Rachel Factor, MD, Herman Staats, PhD, Barbara Theriot, Sarah Bean, MD (Not pictured: Jamie Botta)