Smithsonian Community Engagement Project on Implicit Bias Coming to Weidner Center

Traveling Exhibit Will Be In Grand Foyer of the Weidner Center January 15 – February 13, 2022

Green Bay, Wis.—University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, UW-Green Bay’s Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs Office (MESA) and the Weidner Center for the Performing Artsare pleased to announce the Weidner Center will host “The Bias Inside Us” January 15, 2022 through February 13, 2022. The community engagement project from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES) will raise awareness about the social sciences and psychology of implicit bias, the impact of this bias, and what people can do about it.

“The Bias Inside Us” features a traveling exhibition that serves as the centerpiece for local programs and activities. Through compelling images, hands-on interactives and powerful testimonials and videos, the exhibition unpacks and demystifies the concept of bias. The exhibition features six sections: Introduction, The Science of Bias, Bias in Real Life, Serious Consequences—Bias is All Around Us, #RetrainYourBrain and Personal Reflection.

The exhibit opens to the public Saturday, January 15, 2021 at 9:00 am in the Grand Foyer of the Weidner Center. Admission is free, no registration required. Contact the Weidner Center at theweidner@uwgb.edu or 920-465-2726 for groups of 15 or more.

The Bias Inside Us Hours:
Wednesday-Friday – 3:00 pm-7:00 pm
Saturday – 9:00 am-2:00 pm
January 15, 2022 – February 13, 2022

Visitors will explore the foundational blocks of bias, the psychology of how it forms and how it influences behaviors both consciously and unconsciously. Interactive elements display how implicit and explicit bias show up in the world and how bias influences systems and policies that have consequences for many people and communities. One interactive experience invites visitors to think about the how bias is reflected in product design, advertising, architecture and technology. Among the videos in the exhibition is a series that features eight voices from diverse perspectives sharing personal experience with bias.

The exhibition also features Spanish photographer Angélica Dass’ Humanae project, which reflects on the color of skin that challenges the concept of race. In this work, Dass documents humanity’s true colors through portraits, rather than the labels “white,” “red,” “black” and “yellow.”

UW-Green Bay’s MESA seeks to “Keep the Conversation Going” with a year-long calendar of companion events inspired by the “The Bias Inside Us” exhibit. “UW-Green Bay is honored to have been selected by the Smithsonian to host this ‘The Bias Inside Us’ exhibit and wants to reach as many communities as possible. Keep the Conversation Going is a regional collaborative effort with events across multiple cities, colleges and community centers to both create more dialogue, more learning and to give deeper impact to ‘The Bias Inside Us’ exhibit” says UW-Green Bay MESA Diversity Director, Mai Lo Lee.

Keep the Conversation Going Events:

21 Week Equity Challenge | United Way of Wisconsin
August 30, 2021 – January 17, 2022
The 21 Week Equity Challenge is an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of how inequity and racism affect our lives and communities. Learn more and sign-up here.

Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Month | UW-Green Bay MESA
September 15, 2021 – October 15, 2021
UW-Green Bay celebrates Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month alongside the National Hispanic Heritage Month period between September 15 – October 15. During this timeframe, a team of campus departments and students collaborate to offer a variety of programs which celebrate and recognize the history, culture, contributions, and presence of Hispanic/Latinx people in the United States and our community. See a full list of Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Month events here.

All Labor Has Dignity! Si Se Puede! Union, Yes! No Borders in the Worker’s Struggle!
Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 6:00 pm
MLK Freedom School
Balkansky Community Room | Manitowoc Public Library
This event will uplift the Martin Luther and Coretta Scott King’s deep history of supporting workers throughout their lives. Dr. King was murdered in Memphis while supporting Black sanitation workers that were fighting for union recognition with AFSCME. Both Kings spoke at numerous union halls, picket lines and other venues supporting a rainbow of workers in the U.S. South and throughout North America. This event will detail this internationalist history and raise up the worker’s struggles of today including immigrant workers, workers organizing their unions, women and LGBTQ worker’s concerns. In-person & virtual event; join here.

Strike a Woman? Strike a Rock!
The Role of Women in the Civil and Human Rights Movements
Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 6:00 pm
MLK Freedom School
Balkansky Community Room | Manitowoc Public Library
Women have always been central to any activity focused on civil and human rights. The title of this event is inspired by a South African women’s slogan that was especially taken up during the fight against apartheid, which was defeated by a united worldwide people’s movement largely led by women and girls. Mrs. Coretta Scott King and a diverse array of other women’s contributions will be highlighted. Women on the front lines of the civil and human rights movements of today will be leading this event. In-person & virtual event; join here.

Angeline Boulley
Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 4:00 PM
Phoenix Rooms | UW-Green Bay
Boulley will visit UW-Green Bay to talk with students about her debut young adult thriller, Firekeeper’s Daughter.

TEDxUW-Green Bay
Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 6:30 pm
Fort Howard Hall | Weidner Center for the Performing Arts
Third annual event; this year’s theme is RESILIENCE. Tickets on sale now at WeidnerCenter.com or by calling Ticket Star at 800-895-0071.

Human Library
Monday, November 1, 2021
Virtual Event | St. Norbert College
The Mulva Library and the Cassandra Voss Center are hosting the eighth annual Human Library. A week-long sharing of stories from our “human books about celebrating community. Click here for information on attending this virtual event.

Featured Speaker: Tim Wise
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Cofrin Family Hall | Weidner Center for the Performing Arts
Prominent anti-racist writer and educator Tom Wise will be presenting at the Weidner Center. It will be followed by a moderated Q&A. Free event, open to the public.

Gaming for a Greater World: A Conversation with Anita Sarkeesian
Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 2:30 pm
Virtual Event | St. Norbert College
Feminist pop culture critic Anita Sarkeesian takes a look back at the sweeping changes that have happened in the ways we experience and talk about media over the past decade, and how our cultural debates about video games and other media are directly linked to larger struggles over who holds power in our culture. Register Here to attend.

People’s Needs. Not Prisons and Wars
Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 6:00 pm
MLK Freedom School
Balkansky Community Room | Manitowoc Public Library
Combined, the amount of tax dollars spent on prisons, bank bailouts and wars by the U.S., state and local governmental entities is hundreds of billions of dollars. Dr. King in his April 4, 1967 “Beyond Vietnam….” speech, said: “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift, is approaching spiritual death.” This event will highlight the King’s steadfast opposition to wars that only benefit the rich. Peace and anti-war activists from Wisconsin and beyond will raise up their activities focused on ending poverty, racism and war. In-person & virtual event; join here.

Recovery & Moore Symposium:
A Culture First Approach through Equity, Justice, & Healing
November 19 – November 20, 2021
Virtual Event | The Privilege Institute
Visit their website for upcoming details.

White Privilege Symposium 2021
December 3 – December 4, 2021
La Crosse, WI | The Privilege Institute
Visit their website for upcoming details.

Kwanzaa Celebration
Saturday, December 4, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Phoenix Rooms | UW-Green Bay
Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA), Student Engagement Center (SEC) and the Black Student Union (BSU) welcomes the community to join together for UW–Green Bay’s annual Kwanzaa Celebration. Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African and African-American culture and identity, based on the seven principles of African heritage. All are welcome to attend regardless of background, faith or culture, as we celebrate the commonalities and values that bring us together rather than the differences that drive us apart.

Voting is a Human Right! Stop Racist Attacks
Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 6:00 pm
MLK Freedom School
Balkansky Community Room | Manitowoc Public Library
The basic democratic right to vote is under increasing Jim Crow style attacks in Wisconsin and across the United States. These attacks include ever more restrictive voting laws and gerrymandering. The King’s work to ensure voting rights included numerous protests, marches and the 1965 Voting Rights Act that is always under threat of being overturned. Voting rights activists will highlight the King’s work and engage participants in defending our democratic right to vote today. In-person & virtual event; join here.

Brown County Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration
Friday, January 14, 2022
Weidner Center for the Performing Arts

The Bias Inside Us
January 15 – February 13, 2022
Wednesday-Friday – 3:00 pm-7:00 pm
Saturday – 9:00 am-2:00 pm
Grand Foyer | Weidner Center for the Performing Arts
“The Bias Inside Us” is open to the public. Admission is free; no registration required. For groups of 15 or more, please contact the Weidner Center at theweidner@uwgb.edu or 920-465-2726.

Freedom Riders | Stage Doors Education Series
Monday, February 7, 2022 at 10:00 am & 12:30 pm
Cofrin Family Hall | Weidner Center for the Performing Arts
Freedom Riders is the latest edition to the canon of American History plays by Mad River Theater Works. This new play, with original songs and music, explores the valiant and courageous personalities behind one of the most critical chapters in the history of the Civil Rights movement.
Visit WeidnerCenter.com/education to learn more about Freedom Riders, the Stage Doors Education Series and to register your school group.

Further “Keep the Conversation Going” events will be added in the coming months. Visit WeidnerCenter.com/the-bias-inside-us to stay up to date on all “Keep the Conversation Going” events.

About “The Bias Inside Us”

“The Bias Inside Us” draws from the scientific research and educational work by psychologists Mahzarin R. Banaji of Harvard University and Anthony G. Greenwald, professor emeritus at the University of Washington. They defined the term “implicit bias” through their work on unconscious and conscious mental processes. Their book Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People (Delacorte Press, 2013) explores the biases people carry based on their exposure to cultural attitudes on areas such as gender, race, social class and disability status.
Major support for “The Bias Inside Us” is provided by the Otto Bremer Trust. Additional support provided by Acton Family Giving, Anonymous donors, The Beverly Foundation, Steve and Sheri Lear, Target, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation, Thomson Reuters, Allianz of America, Valerie E. and William A. Anders, Atlanta Gas Light Foundation, Julie and David Burton, the Dreier Family, Lennart Ehn and Ginger Lew, Expedia, Trevor and Melissa Fetter, the Roger S. Firestone Foundation, Brenda J. Gaines, Myra Hart and Kent Hewitt, Charlie and Nancy Hogan, Judy and Bob Huret, Dr. Christine C. Jenkins and Mr. Pierre A. France, KNOCK, inc., Sarah Lawer and Frank Guanco, Leaders Forum, Kathleen Mason, Elyse Rabinowitz and Jim Porter, Dr. Philip S. and Alice Hoolihan Randall, Gloria del C. Rodriguez, the Family of Leona Roen, and Naoma Tate. Based on an original concept developed by Tolerance in Motion: Steve Lear, Laura Zelle and Elyse Rabinowitz, founders; Ellen Glatstein, Laura Lipshutz, Alice Randall, Joanne Jones-Rizzi and Susan Shapiro, directors; Don Shelby, founding advisor; and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Steve Hunegs, executive director.

About SITES

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play.  For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit sites.si.edu.

About the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts

UW-Green Bay’s Weidner Center for the Performing Arts is known for its elegant design and the acoustic excellence of its 2,000-seat main hall, Cofrin Family Hall. It also houses two smaller performance spaces, the Fort Howard recital hall and the Jean Weidner Theatre, along with a dance studio and Grand Foyer. The Weidner Center has a distinct benefit in being part of a leading institution of higher learning. The Weidner Center is home for UW-Green Bay Music and Theatre and Dance programs, community events and productions, and performances by visiting artists and touring companies. Beyond the large-scale touring productions that grace the stage, the Weidner Center also focuses on scholastic development, programming and an impactful education series — Stage Doors. For more information on the Weidner Center, visit www.WeidnerCenter.com, call 920-465-2726 or 800-895-0071, or follow ‘Weidner Center for the Performing Arts’ on Facebook, Twitter (@WeidnerCenter) and Instagram (@weidnercenter).

About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving 8,970 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and 79,604 continuing education enrollees each year across all campus locations. We educate students from pre-college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. In 2020, UW-Green Bay was the fastest growing UW school in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.

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