The Facts and Science Behind Racism With Keon West

Air Dates: April 14-20, 2025 

Most of us can probably point to examples of people who suffered from racism, or who overcame racism.  But Keon West reminds us all that “the plural of anecdote is not data” and that science actually has a lot to say about the reality of racism today—if we take the time to consider it and really understand.   

West is a social psychologist and an Associate Professor at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has also worked at the University of Leeds and the University of Roehampton, both in the U.K. His research interests include stigma, bias and perceptions of people from other groups. Much of his prior research specifically investigated the contact hypothesis and its derivatives. Recently, however, his recent research has developed a stronger focus on gender identity, perceptions of sexuality and sexual orientation, sexism and anti-LGBT prejudice. As well as publishing a number of scientific papers each year, West has disseminated his findings in the broader media. He has appeared multiple times in various national and international outlets including the Guardian and the BBC. Though he currently lives in London, he grew up in Jamaica and has also lived in the United States and France.  He received a B.A. in Psychology from Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, and a doctorate in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University. 

On this week’s episode of “Story in the Public Square,” West reflects on the purpose behind his new book, “The Science of Racism: Everything You Need to Know, But Probably Don’t – Yet.” According to West, most people view racism from either an emotional or political standpoint, but he wanted to take it a step further and investigate the scientific aspect of racism. He said, “What we don’t do is talk about it from a scientific, factual place, and I thought that was strange. There are so many facts, and I thought it was time someone wrote them down, so I did.” West also discusses the importance of using science and experiments to get people to understand racism. “For me, what it is, fundamentally is more convincing,” he said. “The science tells us about racism generally, that there’s a lot of it. That racism is big, it’s ubiquitous, it’s spread around almost everywhere, it affects almost everything.”  

“Story in the Public Square” broadcasts each week on public television stations across the United States. In Rhode Island and southeastern New England, the show is broadcast on Rhode Island PBS on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and is rebroadcast Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Check your local public television listings for air times near you! An audio version of the program airs Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET, Sundays at 2:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Mondays at 4:30 a.m. ET on SiriusXM’s popular P.O.T.U.S. (Politics of the United States), channel 124. “Story in the Public Square” is a project of the Pell Center at Salve Regina University. The initiative aims to study, celebrate and tell stories that matter.