Is that so? The power of our underlying assumptions – Dr. Nasim Ahmadiyeh M.D., Ph.D

A Black female surgeon feels invisible, and wishes to be seen for who she is (1). A Black male physician wishes he were invisible, instead of fielding the constant assumptions that he is a threat (2). When patients went to the emergency department of an academic medical center in Philadelphia complaining of chest pain, it took the staff significantly longer to order EKGs for Black patients than for white patients (3). Time matters when treating a heart attack, and an EKG is a readily available and standard test ordered for chest pain, so why the delay if you were Black? When outside examiners scored math tests of elementary school children without the benefit of knowing their names/gender, girls scored higher than when they were scored by their own teachers who knew the students’ gender (4). More female musicians are hired when they audition behind a curtain, than during open auditions (5). Continue reading

“Us and them” – Prejudice and Peace – Dr. Tiffani Betts Razavi

History furnishes no shortage of examples of the suffering of one group of people at the hands of another, even as news headlines daily document ongoing conflict and oppression. Some stories are well known, others obscure or lost, and none are as well understood as they need to be to overcome the barrier posed by the “us and them” attitude that is at their root. Continue reading

Upcoming Event: Fear of the Dark: Cultural Myth, Psychological Schema, and Prejudice

The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace Series on Structural Racism and the Root Causes of Prejudice Presents:

Sheri Parks, First Director of the Arts and Humanities Center for Synergy at the University of Maryland

Fear of the Dark: Cultural Myth, Psychological Schema, and Prejudice

Tuesday October 10,2017

3PM

Atrium, Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park

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Reflection: International Day for Peace 2016

When you ask most people about world peace, they tell you that peace is among the most important matters on their mind and that we should all be concerned about it. But longing for peace is only the first step on the path toward making the world a better place for all people.

If we really wish to work toward achieving world peace we will first have to start with expanding our worldview about what peace requires from individuals, communities, and leaders of nations.

If we really desire a better more peaceful world, then we can start by accepting the fact that there are many barriers to peace. Through our actions every person has the power remove the road blocks to peace. Continue reading