4 I's of Oppression Reflection

 


    Both the text and the video were impactful for me because they provided me with the words to describe oppression beyond institutional. The type of oppression that stood out to me the most was internalized oppression. Especially the fact that something doesn’t have to be said or done to you directly for you to internalize something. For me, something I noticed was that there is this unsaid notion that dark-skinned women were worth less than other women. Growing up, I didn’t see a lot of dark-skinned women in the media, even on shows like BET, where there were typically all-black casts. However, something I noticed was that when they were there, the female lead/love interest was never dark-skinned. They were typically the best friend or another side character. 

Another part of my identity that I internalized was my hair. Up until very recently, I struggled with loving my hair. The video speaks to the dominant narrative, and for me, that was straight hair. At one point, I even had straight hair via a perm. Whenever I heard people talk about 4c hair, it wasn’t positive. For example, I would hear about the fight for the Crown Act and how my hair would be considered unprofessional and disruptive. Although it was never said directly to me, it still affected how I viewed my hair. In addition, I didn’t see a lot of natural hair portrayed in the media. In addition to the media, history affected how I internalized aspects of my physical identity. During the 1950s and 1960s, many black women bleached their skin to appear lighter to avoid racial abuse. Along with bleaching their skin, they straightened their hair to fit what white people felt comfortable with. For me, this made it harder to feel confident in my skin, even as someone who had a dark-skinned mother who always celebrated our skin tone. 

Now, I am more confident in my hair and skin, partly due to seeing it more in the media. For example, I can’t express the joy of watching Black Panther. Almost the entire cast was dark-skinned, and not only was Lupita Nyango the female lead, but she also wore her natural hair. It was a moment where I could take pride in and admire the beauty of being a dark-skinned woman. Another moment that impacted me was at school. Although she was only there for a year and despite not ever being her student, Ms.Laguere inspired me to take pride in my hair. Not only did she come to school with her natural hair, but it was a bright orange that no one could ignore. To see a teacher rock their natural hair unapologetically in a professional space comforted me as I worked to learn to style my hair. 

Overall, learning about the 4 I’s of oppression has reestablished in my mind the importance of representation. If I had seen more people who looked at me in media and positions of power consistently, I wouldn’t have felt the otherness of not being part of the dominant group. My experience with Ms.Laguere inspires me to be a teacher who makes other students feel comfortable in their own skin. I hope that by embracing my identity, I can help other students embrace theirs. In addition, I hope to show my students examples of people who look like them succeeding and thriving so they can leave my class confident in themselves and their ethnicity. 


Pretty Brown Skin By Alton King:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com&source_ve_path=MTY0NTAz&v=uIj5woRGNpk&feature=youtu.be

Comments

  1. Dr. Joyce StevosSeptember 30, 2024 at 12:20 PM

    I like how you explored the reading and used it to understand how you are affected personally.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dr. Joyce StevosOctober 20, 2024 at 2:43 PM

    From Jess: Joanmarie: Your blog post on internalized oppression is very powerful and personal. It's clear how the lack of representation and negative narratives in the media have impacted your
    self-perception. I love the connection you gave us and how you are now confident in your
    beautiful skin and hair. Your journey is inspirational and highlights the importance of diverse and
    positive representation in the media.

    ReplyDelete

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