“My name is Richard Robinson and I am the first African American Chief Justice of the State of Connecticut. And that is not because I was the first one qualified to be the Chief Justice of the State of Connecticut, it was because I was the first who was given the opportunity.”

And with that, Chief Justice Robinson opened his engaging and interactive Morning Meeting talk with the Taft community, in which he shared pointed and important messages: 

-Everyone, including judges and juries, has implicit, deeply subconscious biases

-Implicit biases impact our democracy

-We can tame our biases by recognizing them, and “practicing the pause” before assessing, speaking, acting, or deciding.

“Think of it as an iceberg, Chief Justice Robinson explained. “You start making assessments as soon as you see someone. But what you see is just what’s above the surface. The majority of the iceberg lies beneath—you can’t see it. You have to talk to people to learn what’s underneath.” 

Challenge yourself, Chief Justice Robinson advised, to pause, build new habits, get uncomfortable, open yourself up, experience new things, create safe space, put together an action plan for yourself, and to share stories and experiences.

Watch Chief Justice Robinson’s full talk here.