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Who Owns Those Thoughts

Amie Comeau

Blog #6 of 6

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December 9th, 2014 - 09:56 PM

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Who Owns Those Thoughts

What is internalized racism?

One definition, from Susan Lipsky states, " (Internalized Racism)...gives rise to patterns of thinking,
feeling and behaving that result in discriminating, minimizing, criticizing, finding fault, invalidating,
and hating oneself while simultaneously valuing the dominant culture." According to this definition,
dispelling racism from one's own thinking is the priority for social justice and equality. Reflection on
how we make choices, then act on those choices, is a difficult process. What's apparent is that any
expectation for the dominant culture to end racism never provides the intended result of equal pay,
for equal work.

Minority cultures in America do not control of their choices. Where one lives, gets educated, and
starts their family is dependent on historical standards of oppression. The work of anti-racism is set
against a history of Euro-centric standards. Internalized racism is not blaming, or self-hatred, but the
systemic acceptance of standards based in a dominant, male, white culture. Data from the Census
Bureau related to race and earnings shows that most American workers, making $125,000 per year or
more, are disproportionately white (5,147,415 out of 6,139,070 workers). A limited expression of
internalized racism is clearly visible within these facts.

Thinking Critically

Standards that represent exclusive practices in education, and professional collaboration have
weaknesses. Are people of color continually blamed for their oppression? Consider the level of
minority incarceration that is currently greater in the United States, than elsewhere in the world. If we
think critically while reflecting on the disproportionate numbers of minorities in the criminal justice
system, it is apparent that their ability to become employed at a higher wage has been limited. Critical
thinking to address empowerment of these groups has been focused on education. Education combats
an unequal, systemic standard of living. There is still a need to examine an adherence to irrelevant
criteria when developing anti-discrimination policy.

Systemic Responses

Access to educational achievement is a systemic response. The laws of Equal Opportunity and Civil
Rights are theoretical weapons to reduce barriers for minority groups in educational achievement.
These systemic responses are not sustaining resources for minority groups. What happens when a
Native American graduates with a professional degree, and finds herself in a workforce, where she is
consistently singled out as the 'token' minority? When she seeks work in her field, there are no
mentors to collaborate among on process reform. Unless this worker is empowered by the dominant
culture to support other diverse candidates in their work; she must assimilate to the Euro-centric
standards. To survive, she is forced to behave in a manner that does not change the current paradigm.
Reflections around the effect of internalized racism can be undertaken by individuals; changing the
imbalance of power is a community project.

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