Even African Americans hold negative bias toward other African Americans

Evidence

Racial bias affects most everyone. Even individuals who profess to embrace racial equality are likely to hold implicit bias (Rachlinski, Johnson, Wistrich, & Guthrie, 2009). Bias operates as a behavioral shortcut, helping individuals to navigate the world, so it comes as no surprise that people from all racial backgrounds “have implicit biases in the form of stereotypes and prejudices that can negatively and nonconsciously affect [their] behavior” (Richardson, 2011, p. 2039). Implicit bias is not just a problem for Whites. In the United States, even African Americans have racial bias, often negative biases toward people that look like they do (Richardson, 2011). Research suggests that bias like this is the product of African Americans internalizing Whites’ stereotypes (see Clark & Clark, 1947). This typically holds true for all minority individuals; they are likely to have internalized the stereotypes of the majority racial group. — Joseph Avery, Jim Sidanius, Joel Cooper, Gregory Davis, Amanda N., Bias in the Law, 668

Categorization

• XREF: The Clark & Clark 1947 doll studies connect to broader literatures on internalized oppression and stereotype internalization.