Award-wining author Jessica Nordell to speak on overcoming unconscious bias

by | Nov 9, 2022 | What’s Happening

Thursday, December 8, 7:30 pm

Sandler Family Campus, Free

Bias in society is something everyone knows of and has encountered, but what about the unconscious bias within each person that informs everyday actions? Have you ever taken the time to examine the preconceived notions you have of an individual or group? Are those notions harmful or benign in your everyday life?

Award-winning author, science writer, and speaker Jessica Nordell wondered about those questions when as a freelance writer, she found increased success when pitching topics using a gender-neutral name.

In her new book The End of Bias, A Beginning: How We Eliminate Unconscious Bias and Create a More Just World, Nordell examines implicit bias and how it affects people and society.

Nordell will visit Tidewater as part of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival, in partnership with the Jewish Community Relations Council, Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, and Virginia Wesleyan University’s Robert Nusbaum Center. She will share her insights about how to tackle the unspoken biases that influence one’s behavior.

In her book, Nordell expertly weaves years of rigorous research with nuance, compassion, and understanding in order to afford an open dialogue meant to uncover and minimize bias within society and within each individual to promote a positive change in mind and behavior. Nordell brings myriad tools to assist each person in beginning to remake themselves, the community, and the world.

For more details and to register for this event, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.

Elka Mednick