How do you help people heal from and overcome internalized oppression?
There are several different ways that people can work together to overcome internalized oppression. Here are some steps you can take. They are first listed, and then elaborated upon one at a time.
1. Become a close friend, ally, or mentor to individuals who are struggling with internalized oppression.
2. Take pride in and celebrate culture. Learn about and celebrate your own culture, and learn about others as well. Placing your own culture in a world context can help you understand its development and value.
3. Meet in groups with people from similar backgrounds, to heal from the emotional hurts of internalized oppression.
4. Take action against injustice and oppression. Taking positive action on your own behalf is the most powerful cure for internalized, as well as external, discrimination and oppression.
5. When you notice internalized oppression operating in groups, point it out, and help the group change direction.
6. Protect young people from the effects of oppression.