Racial Bias - What's in a Name 

Is the label “Black” different from the label “African American?” New research shows that white Americans associate the label “Black” with being targets of racial bias more than the label “African Americans.” The findings have implications for outcomes as varied as the tone of media coverage, non-profit fundraising, and even image search results.

The results are detailed in a new paper published by Psychological Science titled, “What’s in a Name? The Hidden Historical Ideologies Embedded in the Black and African American Racial Labels.”

In one particularly stark finding, if white Americans personally endorse bias and discrimination ideologies, they are 99% more likely to donate to an organization labeled as a “Black” organization, rather than an “African American” one.

The paper is co-authored by Professors Erika V. Hall of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, Sarah S. M. Townsend of the USC Marshall School of Business, and doctoral student James T. Carter of Columbia Business School.

Professor Erika V. Hall is available for interviews this week.