Internalized Racism Essay

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INTRODUCTION The lives of African Americans have been affected by racism, classism, and colorization. African Americans have struggled to find culture identity and a sense of self- worth. They have been scrutinized and degraded to the point where the stereotypes and perceptions of the racism are internalized and believed; thus developing internalized racism. Internalized racism is one psychosocial factor that might be principally pertinent to the impact of psychological stress in African Americans. Define Research Problem Racism remains alive in today’s society. Among societies, racist attitudes are so harsh, so pervasive, and so damaging that some minority individuals turn to racism and sometimes seemingly agree with some of the conditions and internalizing the messages of racism. These individuals come to mistreat themselves and other members of their group in the same ways they have been mistreated as the targets of racism. Racism has made them think of themselves and others as unintelligent, idle, unimportant, and/or inferior to Caucasians (Watts-Jones, 2002). Oppression has made minority individuals criticize or verbally attack each other, using the racist messages of our societies, or allow others in their group to do so. Oppression has made them put their individual well-being last (Tull, et al, 2007). Purpose of Study Current research investigates various issues dealing with counseling, racism, prejudice, racial micro-aggression, and racial intervention strategies; existing literature suggests that racism has negative impacts on African Americans in ways that may necessitate them seeking counseling (White & Parham, 1990). However, research concerning counseling and internalized racism is slim. Therefore, this study is being conducted to analyze how internalized racism plays a factor in African Americans seeking professional

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