Internalized Racial Oppression vs. Authenticity

I also learned about this at the Undoing Racism workshop I mentioned on the previous 2 posts.

Internalized Racial Oppression is the toxic impact of living in a racialized society.

The first part of this, Inferiority, was led by a black man and a Latina. They allowed only the People of Color to respond; the white people could listen and learn, but not talk. This was very informative for me to hear. I took notes and wrote below in the voice of the leaders.

The second part of this, Superiority, was led by two white women. They allowed only the white people to respond; the People of Color could listen and learn, but not talk.

Inferiority
(Commit to being authentic instead of participating in below.)
Denial - brain buying time to deal
Distancing - brain trying to solve a problem that isn't a problem...skin color; pulling self away from those like you to be accepted; not speaking the language of parents, etc.
Mimicking - imitating white people (talking, straightening hair...)
Colorism - lighter skin POC get white benefits while darker skin less benefits/worse health, family distancing, socialized to disrespect
Protectionism - trained to protect white people so closer can get to benefits, protects status as token
Exaggerated Visibility - talking loudly, low pants, "see me, if like it or not!", F you
Ethnocentrism - only one POC to represent in a business
Anger - due to being inauthentic, to lie is not natural
Rage

Stop struggling with selves to gain acceptance.
Be yourself. Be authentic.
Stop trying to make white people comfortable.

Superiority
(How we as white people absorb and perpetuate racism.)
Individualism - we don't remember how we benefited, we say: "we can do it, why can't POC?"
Competition - who is going to be best (even this: the best anti-racist!), it separates us, it traps us in our minds, we need to do internal work
Perfectionism - we think we have to be to compete, works against who we are as people, it is a crock, poisons education system, compliance and rule following, a culture of politeness
Meritocracy - we think we get our advancements from merit...not aware of what really got us where we are now, or who we "stepped on" (genocide, enslavement) to get where we are
Entitlement - we think we deserve it
Normalizing - pushing the white way of doing things, "white is right"
Defensiveness - I didn't mean that!
Written Word ...valued over people's experiences
Paternalism - male hierarchy

These are systemic and we continue them...STOP!!!
Pay attention.
Think: where we learned them and how do we perpetuate them?
They are unconscious within us.


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