Chapter 12: Accidents and Inspirations

When first asked to author this essay, I decided to decline because I do not think of myself as someone whose research focuses specifically on race, and I certainly do not feel that I have the expertise or experience to justify opinions on what should be studied and how. I define myself as someone who studies fairness in hiring processes primarily, but who also is willing to tackle other topics where fairness and inclusion at work are jeopardized. If I look back at my papers on these topics, they range in identities studied—gender, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, culture/nationality—they do not especially focus on race. However, I had to reflect a bit on whether that was the “real reason” for declining. A reflective essay on race was bound to make me face some uncomfortable truths about myself and my research career. It would not allow me to use the dispassionate, objective tone of writing about empirical evidence, as a reflective essay involves discussing subjective experiences. While contemplative practices are “good for you,” I often feel like they waste my time. The exercise of looking back at what I have not done in my career did not seem like an uplifter. But in the end, I agreed to write something.