Beyond Personal Bias
By: Valerie J. Alexander
Tags: Women In Politics, Strategic Discrimination, Political Science, Bias, Faculty

Beyond Personal Bias

Photo by Mohammad Shahhosseini on Unsplash

Recently, I read Regina Bateson’s scholarly article on strategic discrimination. When considering the gains made by women (and women of color) in recent elections, Bateson asks: “So why do women and people of color remain under-represented in U.S. politics?” Her explanation — strategic discrimination. Strategic discrimination, Bateson explains, is when people hesitate to support a candidate of color out of a belief that others will not support the candidate. Strategic discrimination differs from individual bias or systemic discrimination. Rather, strategic discrimination is more subtle. It involves an underlying belief that the collective others out there (rather than the individual) will be biased against the candidate of color.

In her article, Bateson asks: “[W]hy is strategic discrimination so salient at this particular moment in U.S. history?” She offers three answers: “increasing diversity among candidates, increasing awareness of racism and sexism in society, and increasing political polarization.”

While I support her answers, as a Black woman in political science, I would like to add one more: i.e., the rise of Black women who no longer accept our invisibility as status quo!

I wrote an article last month about the lack of Black women professors in political science. While the article focused primarily on college professors, my thoughts about Black women ran across the political spectrum — e.g., in the three branches of government, in local politics, etc. I chose, however, to limit the article to Black women in academia.

Although I alluded to a concept similar to strategic discrimination, I did not expound on it. The point I was trying to make, however, is that women of color will continue to be an anomaly in politics if more college students of color do not see themselves reflected in their professors. How will young students of color aspire to political careers if professors of political science do not look like them? How will students of color find their political voice if only certain voices — namely, white male voices — are centered and privileged?

Mind you, I have nothing against white male professors at all. They are my colleagues. But I believe that PWIs and HBCUs need to evaluate faculty hiring processes and consider the question: Is representation adequately displayed according to student demographics? If not, then consider undergoing diversity, equity, and inclusion training. Make an effort to uncover implicit biases in faculty hiring.

As a Black woman and former adjunct professor of political science, I agree with Bateson. Strategic discrimination can be “tricky to combat.” It is hard to fight against and even more difficult to prove. Can I prove that it is discrimination — of any kind — that prevents me from securing a full-time professorship? No, I cannot. Rather, I take my cues from my lived experiences. And my experience is that, as a part-time adjunct, I was good enough to teach semester after semester. But when trying to secure a full-time appointment, offers are elusive and non-existent.

While I cannot prove that it is my Blackness or gender that keeps me from attaining a full-time university position, I am thankful to Bateson for her article. It adds gravitas to what I have felt and believed as a Black woman in political science. While my white colleagues may not view themselves as personally biased, I believe there is a strategic and systemic undercurrent in the hiring process that pits a Black female professor of political science with her white male colleagues. And the white male colleague will invariably win out. Whether intentional or not, this is — as Bateman says — strategic discrimination.

Although Bateman’s article focuses on political candidates, I invite you to check out her views and critically engage with them. It is worth the read!