Skip to main content

Book Review: UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work

Editor's Note: This review was originally published in San Francisco Book Review

Author Stacey Gordon
 
More than a year after the tragic and brutal murder of George Floyd sparked massive protests that demanded greater accountability in terms of racial justice, organizations continue to address the need for diversity and inclusion. Stacey Gordon offers her experience as a diversity leader tackling contentious issues in Unbias: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work. Gordon provides practical advice on how organizations should address biases at work, referencing dimensions of diversity beyond race and ethnicity. Yet, Gordon also makes the case for why leaders should develop the personal comfort and capacity to lead difficult conversations about racial issues in the workplace.

This book is a timely read for anyone who is committed to developing equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces. It’s especially useful for human resources and/or diversity and inclusion managers who are tasked with operationalizing diversity initiatives in the workplace. In a straightforward and pragmatic way, Gordon bridges the gap in understanding between the proponents of social justice and those in the business world. Data are critical to defining and addressing workforce diversity gaps, and Gordon offers actionable advice on eliminating biases in recruitment and hiring processes.

Beyond implementing employee training on unconscious biases, Gordon challenges leaders to champion equity at work by modeling and rewarding inclusive behaviors and practices. The work has legal, moral, and business imperatives. To be successful, all those imperatives must be addressed to articulate and sustain an organization’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

Buy via Bookshop.org

 

Popular posts from this blog

Minding the Wealth Gap

As a Black investor and startup founder, Cliff Goins IV brings firsthand experience and sharp insight to one of America’s most urgent issues: the racial wealth gap. Having navigated the worlds of finance and entrepreneurship, Goins has seen up close the systemic disparities in wealth creation, access to capital, and asset management. From unequal opportunities in homeownership and education to persistent challenges in business funding and employment, the historical gaps are perpetuated in present-day practices. In "Minding the Wealth Gap," Goins skillfully blends data, lived experience, and the insights of experts to illuminate the deep-rooted economic disparities facing Black Americans. More importantly, he highlights the power of collective uplift. Through the voices of nine dynamic “gap closers,” Goins shows how real change happens when Black investors and leaders open doors for others. Each success “play” or strategy underscores the ripple effect of support. Selena Cu...

Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto

In "Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto," renowned Marxian scholar and philosopher Kohei Saito offers a compelling argument against the relentless pursuit of economic growth that permeates contemporary capitalism. Saito’s thesis focuses on the concept of degrowth—a radical reduction in production and consumption that aligns with sustainable ecological limits rather than constant expansion. Pictured above is Kohei Saito Saito makes a significant and timely contribution to the ongoing conversation about sustainable living. Slow Down adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing insights from environmental science, economics, and social theory to present a clear and urgent depiction of the current ecological crisis. Saito critiques the widely accepted belief that economic growth equates to progress and questions the sustainability of existing global consumption patterns. He advocates for a fundamental reshaping of our economic systems to prioritize human well-being and ecologica...

Wash

Ebony Stewart’s "Wash" is a powerful, unflinching poetry collection that draws the reader into a world of raw emotion, deep introspection, and lyrical brilliance. As I read through the poems, I found myself captivated by Stewart’s honest reflections on identity, love, loss, and healing. Her voice is unapologetically bold, revealing the complexities of being a Black womxn navigating relationships, societal expectations, and hard-fought victories toward self-worth. Yet, her themes are universal, resonating with anyone who has grappled with their own identity and relationships. What struck me most was Stewart’s emotional transparency: each poem feels like a cleansing, a shedding of shame, doubt, and grief, revealing the triumph of knowing one’s value in a world that often seeks to diminish it. Stewart doesn’t shy away from exploring the pain of extractive love or the vulnerability of desire, but she also leaves room for empowerment and resilience. As a celebrated spoken word ...