In his speech in Philadelphia yesterday, presidential hopeful Barack Obama discussed many aspects of race and racism in America, considering what has changed in the last 50 years, and mentioning what, in his view, still needs to change. He differentiated between the more overt forms of racism in the past and the more subtle kinds of racism that exist today.

In the contemporary workplace, there is a high degree of subjectivity in terms of hiring, firing, giving promotions, and compensation. Racial biases, along with other stereotypes about gender, age, religion, socioeconomic background, and sexual preference can be important influences on some of the judgments made by managers and employees alike.