As protests over the death of George Floyd continue to rage, the association says the training is part of its “commitment to addressing racial injustice”
As protests over the death of George Floyd rage, the National Association of Realtors has announced that it will give implicit bias training to its members and association staff.
Floyd, an African American man, died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd’s death has sparked protests over police brutality and racial inequality across the globe.
NAR said that it was instituting the training as “part of its commitment to addressing racial injustice in America.” The association has begun circulating a 50-minute implicit-bias training video to its members and staff. The video draws upon recent research to illustrate how the human brain makes instant, automatic associations between stereotypes and particular groups – associations that can cause people to treat those different from them unfairly, NAR said. Scientific evidence also suggests that these implicit biases persist in spite of people’s good intentions, and often without their conscious awareness.
“Fair housing, equality and inclusion are among NAR’s most cherished values. Realtors follow a strict code of ethics that not only defines us as professionals, but explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin or sexual orientation,” said Vince Malta, NAR president. “We are committed to leading the way on policies that address racial injustice and build communities where people of every color feel safe to pursue their own American Dream. This training video is a small part of an ongoing education campaign that will position realtors to lead in the fight against racial discrimination.”
The video was produced in cooperation with the Perception Institute, which provides implicit bias training to courtrooms, boardroom, schools and hospitals. The video provides strategies to override bias in order to ensure fairness, convey respect and improve business relationships. NAR said the video is a precursor to more in-depth training currently being developed for real estate brokers to deliver to their agents.
