External oppression is the unjust exercise of authority and power by one group over another. It includes imposing one group’s belief system, values and life ways over another group.
External oppression becomes internalized oppression when we come to believe and act as if the oppressor’s beliefs system, values, and life way is reality.
“Self-hate” and “internalized racism” are other ways of saying internalized oppression.
The result of internalized oppression is shame and the disowning of our individual and cultural reality. Without internalized oppression, we would not now have previously unseen levels of violence, especially against women and children.
Drunkenness, disrespect for God, fighting, cussing and disrespect for women were “foreign” behaviors modeled by the Cavalry, and eventually worked their way into our communities through internalized oppression.
Internalized oppression means the oppressor doesn’t have to exert any more pressure, because we now do it to ourselves and each other. Divide and conquer works.
We resist internalized oppression by relearning how to live respectfully and harmoniously together — without violence.
This explains a lot as to why we sometimes feel tortured by our own choices, doesn’t it?
