HOW INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION IN THE AFRICAN DIASPORA IMPEDE BLACK SELF-IDENTITY

“Internalized Oppression Definition: When people are oppressed in an ongoing manner for a long time, they come to believe the stereotypes and myths about their own group that are communicated by the dominant group. They accept and replicate the negative image of themselves and take in their lesser status as being deserved, normal and certain.”

Two Oppressive Forces that Contribute to Internalized Oppression

1. The American Educational System

2. The Police Force

The basic beliefs of an individual are typically ingrained in early childhood. These beliefs form a foundation for how one perceives life. Additionally, since the messages come from trusted people, there is less of a reason to question the information. Thus, internalization occurs from the moment a child is born.

The lives of the oppressed groups are controlled by the governing groups. Therefore, oppressed individuals find no worth or possibility in trying to develop self-knowledge. They learn who they are and who they should be based on the needs of and through the perspective of the dominant groups. In addition to the absence of self-awareness, the continuous pounding of inferiority on their minds leads them to lose much of their self-worth and self-respect.