Studies say that those hiring for jobs are more likely to choose a person with similar credentials who has a white-sounding name more than a person with a black-sounding name. Loans are more likely to be approved for the white middle class than the black middle class.

I think it was in Blink that I first learned about a certain type of priming. When primed with positive images of blacks, such as MLK, people were less likely to associate blacks with negative stereotypes. I wish I could remember the exact words, but I didn’t take the book with me to college. I’ll have to revisit this issue later.

Anyway, what if we primed loan officers and such with racially positive images? Of course, it wouldn’t solve problems of structural racism, but it’s a small measure that can go a long way towards solving a problem.

There are a minority who would call this priming itself racist, but I think it would be a good thing. I wonder what scientific tests would show.