Internalized Racism post 5

           Malcolm X used his own experience to show the reader that his family and he were part of the white supremacy cultural oppression, but after he realized the true behind the cultural standards he changed his point of view and start thinking different about himself and the people around him.  For example Malcolm’s father, Earl Little, was a person who internalized racism and in some way he was part of the ideology of white supremacy, but in contrast he was a tall, black Baptist preacher from Georgia. He was violent with the children and his wife however; Malcolm recalls that his father hardly ever hit him. This is because he was the lightest in color among the siblings at home. While the others were darker, he was the only one in the family who was light skin. As the other Afro-Americans, his father also learned to hate his own dark color and favor anyone who was lighter. But not only the whites were extremely prejudiced against the blacks, many Afro-Americans themselves believed that anything white or close to white was divine. This was evident from Malcolm’s own father’s attitude towards him who had the lightest (in color) among the siblings.

         Internalized racism is part of many cultures today, in a society where racial prejudice thrives in politics, communities, institutions and popular culture; it is difficult for racial minorities to avoid absorbing the racist messages that constantly bombard them in mass media standards and stereotypes. For example in many Western cultures beauty standards in ethnic minorities suffering from internalized racism may attempt to alter their appearance to look more “white.”

  In my opinion several people from minorities in USA are suffering from internalized racism, some of them hate the physical characteristics that make them racially distinct such as skin color, hair texture or eye shape. Others may stereotype those from their racial group and refuse to associate with them. And some may complete identify as white. Overall, minorities suffering from internalized racism, but into the notion that whites are superior to people of color.       

      In conclusion, I believe internalized racism is a social problem that affects all of us and it is our responsibility to change perspectives and racial stereotypes that we have about the society and us.


Work Cited 

SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2003. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.

http://www.rc.or

http://www.rc.org/uer/InternalizedRacism.html