8 Questions that challenge internalized racism.
There is no denying it, racism sucks. It’s been engrained in our countries history since it’s founding, it is everywhere and within everyone. This legacy of racism disproportionately affected black, indigenous and people of color who must continuously battle prejudice and stereotypes directly influencing their mental health and self-worth.
What is internalized racism?
Internalized racism is the personal conscious or subconscious acceptance of the larger societies racist views and stereotypes of ones ethnic group. It is the developing of ideas, beliefs, behaviors and actions that support or aligned with racism.
Just as systemic racism is the result of structural advantages called white privilege for white people and their communities, internalized racism results in the system of structural disadvantage for peoples and communities of color.
Racism will deny an opportunity to someone based on race, while internalized racism will prevent that same person from pursuing that opportunity due their preconceived belief of being unworthy.
Internalized racism can erode an individuals sense of self and values while undermining collective action.
Symptoms may include:
-Low self-esteem
-Self-hatred
-Color prejudice or colorism (prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group)
-Stereotyping
-Anxiety
8 Questions that can help challenge internalized racism:
1)What information about yourself would you like others to know—about your heritage, country of origin, family, class background, and so on?
2)What makes you proud about being a member of this group?
3)What do you love about other members of this group?
4)What has been hard about being a member of this group?
5)What don’t you like about others in this group?
6)What were your early life experiences with people in this group?
7)How were you treated by people in this group when you were young?
8)How did you feel about others in your group when you were young?
When people have the opportunity to express their feelings in safe spaces, internalized racism is directly challenged. As emotions are processed and released, people’s adverse feelings about themselves and others in their groups begin to dissipate.
Society, communities of color and mental health will greatly improve if we acknowledge the existence of internalized racism. Benefits would include self improvement, better relationships with others and increased collective action. We are all in this together!
Sources:
Bivens, D. K. (n.d.). What is internalized racism? Retrieved November 22, 2020, from https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/What_is_Internalized_Racism.pdf
Internalized Racism. (2020, July 02). Retrieved November 22, 2020, from https://www.rc.org/publication/uer/InternalizedRacism