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Did They Really Just Say That
Did They Really Just Say That
SPOTLIGHT: DID THEY REALLY JUST SAY THAT? NASFAA NOW | 2017-18 11
Tenney presented on Implicit Bias to more than As financial aid professionals, it is imperative to
100 attendees at NASFAA’s June 2018 Austin take action in these moments when bias manifests
Conference. in order to create a welcoming, inclusive, and
affirming environment for all people who enter
Have you ever been in a conversation with a our space and rely upon our expertise. Students
student or a colleague when they’ve suddenly said should be able to expect a positive, culturally
something biased that made you uncomfortable? competent experience when they address financial
How did you respond, if at all? Most of us struggle aid concerns. Colleagues should be able to expect
to address these all-too-common situations. We that they can bring their full selves to work and
might feel shocked, confused, awkward, and/or be treated respectfully by their peers. That is not
horrified. We might ask ourselves if the person possible if we allow bias to go unchecked, and
really just said what we thought they did or if we if we meet microaggressions with a silence that
somehow imagined it, misheard, or are being often speaks loudly to others, telling them we are
overly sensitive. We might wonder whether it is willing to be complicit in their dehumanization
appropriate for us to say something in response. because it is too difficult for us to speak up.
We might even completely freeze until it’s too
late to speak up because the conversation has But how do we actually speak up, much less in ways
already moved along. Even though we want to do that are effective? What are our goals in speaking
what is right and speak up for equality, we do not up, and how do we accomplish them? While
always know how to take action in that difficult certainly no single approach is guaranteed to work
moment—especially if we are not sure whether every time, when we decide ahead of time that
the person making the comment meant to cause we are committed to being an active bystander
harm. in moments when bias emerges through implicit
bias4 and microaggressions5 we have already
These types of situations are all too common done some of the foundational work necessary
and have been on the rise in recent years,1 as to challenge everyday oppression. We can then
ever-present but now increasingly bold voices proactively consider what strengths we already
of bias, discrimination, and hate seek to further possess6—such as humor, direct communication,
marginalize our students and colleagues through stating discomfort, asking questions, etc.—and
overt and covert bias. Even in this time of utilize them to empower ourselves to speak up.
heightened urgency around questions regarding We can tailor our approach based on the context
who belongs on our campuses 2 and what it of the situation at hand to create educational
means to create an equitable and just institution conversations in response to bias, rather than
of higher education,3 you are not alone in feeling eliciting a defensive reaction from the person who
at a loss for how to respond to these normalized, has (perhaps unintentionally) caused harm. Even if
mundane manifestations of bias in addition to we do not succeed in speaking up in the moment,
blatant instances of racism, sexism, homophobia, we can have follow-up conversations that address
transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, etc. the issue.
12 NASFAA NOW | 2017-18 SPOTLIGHT: DID THEY REALLY JUST SAY THAT?