Think from KERA Can science explain racism?
Mar 9, 2026
Keon West, social psychologist at Goldsmiths and author of The Science of Racism, studies racism with experiments and data. He describes hiring-name studies, in-person audit tests, racial patterns in schools and dating, simulation work on shooting bias, how crime stats are misused, limits of DEI training, and what interventions like sustained contact actually change.
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Doll Studies Show Internalized Racial Devaluation
- Classic doll studies found Black children recognized their race but preferred white dolls and reacted with distress.
- West notes some children ran out crying, showing internalized devaluation of Blackness.
Dating 'Preferences' Often Reflect Stereotypes
- People often claim dating preferences are nonracist 'preferences' but these align with racial stereotypes.
- West links preferences for certain races to stereotypes (e.g., East Asian women as hyperfeminine) that carry broader discriminatory effects.
Simulated Shooting Studies Expose Racial Threat Bias
- Shooter-simulator studies show participants shoot unarmed Black targets more and miss armed white targets more.
- The bias appears in both police and civilians, with laypeople showing stronger racial shooting errors.
