Social Justice Leaders and Internalized Oppression? A Reflective Tool By: Dr. Shartriya Collier

One of my favorite songs is entitled “Flawed Beautiful Creatures” by Stacy Barthe. It is a constant reminder that regardless of title or our multiple identities, we are all simply humans doing the best we can in this world. Any workshop or speaking event that I lead, particularly as related to social justice, diversity equity and inclusion, and other forms of “critical “research, I often pose the question “Who are you and what is your identity”? This question helps to:

?1.) anchor participants in their own lived histories, so that they can,

2.) dig into their own biases and,

3.) examine how these biases impact them in the variety of contexts in which they are working, teaching, and/or leading.

?Such a reflective stance is important because, gone are the days where we believed that we only bring a part of ourselves to our workplace. A baseline notion in my personal leadership philosophy is that we bring our whole selves to every interaction and every experience. Such a framework suggests that, a central part of our jobs as leaders is to be as objective as we can. Yet, it takes years to build the muscle of objectivity because “we are all flawed beautiful creatures”. Part of building that much needed muscle of objectivity is constant self-reflection. Particularly, for leaders who may belong to groups that have been historically marginalized and minoritized. This is because we have lived in a society in which every aspect of our identities are often under attack revealing the impact of the plethora of isms-racism, sexism, classism, sexual orientation bias, ableism etc. we experience as we navigate “mainstream” society.

?As I pondered this, I was reminded of ?Franz Fanon’s “Black Skin, White Masks” in which he states. “Every colonized people—in other words-every people in whose soul an inferiority complex has been created by the death and burial of its local cultural originality—finds itself face to face with the language of the civilizing nation; that is, with the culture of the mother country (p.9)”. In this philosophical stance, Fanon delves into the tension we face in enacting our intersectional identities in society.

Yet, we do not often discuss the ways in which internalized oppression may impact us as leaders, particularly leaders who are seeking to address social justice through our leadership. When we consider leadership as a tool of liberation, it is often deeply rooted in our life experiences of both trauma and triumph. We are often survivors of cultural tyranny, which Gloria Anzaldúa posits as , “Culture forms our beliefs. We perceive the version of reality that it communicates. Dominant paradigms, predefined concepts that exist as unquestionable, unchallengeable, are transmitted to us through the culture. Culture is made by those in power—men. Males make the rules and laws; women transmit them (p.16)”. This is certainly not to say that leaders, specifically BIPOC leaders are “victims” of perceptual injustice, but it does acknowledge we have lived experiences that have led us on our critical researcher/social justice professional/leader trajectory. The narratives of our historical resilience are often what keep us grounded.

?But it is exactly this perspective that is even more reason that we self-assess how internalized oppression may be seeping its way into our enactments of leadership. In other words, are we simply reinforcing patriarchy and replacing “Good ole Boys Clubs”, with “Good Ole Girls Clubs”? Are we inadvertently enacting colorism, reversed sexism, homophobia and all of the “isms” we have dedicated our lives to resist?

?I imagine even seeing that question was appalling to some, yet I’ve discovered that the topics that we are often most appalled by are sometimes the topics we need to reflect most deeply about. Below I outline a short self- assessment tool to further delve into this. I suggest you do this exercise in a journal.

1.)?? Early Life Experiences: Think of an early life experience in which you felt the most powerless and one in which you felt the most powerful? What were the decisions that you made about who you are as a person based upon these experiences? What narrative did you create about what you are capable of and what you are least capable of? In what ways do you feel that your race, gender, class, sexuality etc. came into play in both experiences? What story or narrative did you tell yourself about who you are and your capabilities? How do these show up for you in your work, your leadership and life now? It may help to take a positive intelligence self-assessment to determine your saboteurs.

2.)?? Biases and Stereotypes: While implicit and explicit bias is now covered in every ?human resource diversity training, those of us who have committed our life to social justice work, may have the “I already know this syndrome”. But are we brave enough to be truly honest with ourselves about our personal biases? How do we continue to push our boundaries in terms of learning about new cultures, new frameworks, and new perspectives? This week, force yourself to step outside of your comfort zone by volunteering somewhere in which you are not familiar with the norms and culture of a particular group.

3.)?? Reengage and Reconnect: As leaders, we sometimes are performative in the way we engage our personnel. While a survey or listening session is great, does it really create a culture of trust for your context? Authentic engagement is critical. Talk to your employees. Learn who they are. What are their interests both at work and personally? ?Hold one-on-one sessions or lunches, and genuinely stay connected to the community and people around you.

4.)?? Releasing Imposter Syndrome: One of the most profound impacts of oppression and the internalization of oppression on the psyche is lack of confidence, self-doubt and fear. This internalization can manifest as doing harm to others in our community, often people of our same racial/ethnic, gender group and/or members of other marginalized populations. The work of social justice is heavy work. We often experience secondary trauma in addition to sorting through our personal life experiences. Continual supports through professional development, therapy, and other centering practices are key.

5.)?? Self-Care and Self-Compassion

No institution, nor person is worth the sacrifice of your health, your wellness or your livelihood. Live your life fully, embrace what lights up your spirit, and be kind to yourself.

6.)?? Courage: First of all, thank you. Thank you for having the courage to show up in this work. Thank you for having the courage to speak up, thank you for having the courage to advocate and to lead. Also, dig into the places where you have the most fear in your leadership, the conversations that you know you need to have, the ones that make your stomachache and palms sweaty beforehand, and have the much-needed critical conversations, sooner than later! The articles that you are most fearful to write, write them and push through! You were called to do the work for a reason. You got this!

References

?Anzaldúa, G. (1987).?Borderlands = la frontera : the new mestiza.?San Francisco, Spinsters/Aunt Lute.

?Fanon, F. (1952). Black Skin, White Masks. New York: Grove Press.

Bio: Dr. Collier is currently a professor of teacher education. With 22 years of experience as a K-12 teacher, professor, Director, and higher education administrator, she is a dynamic and passionate coach, author and speaker who inspires audiences to embrace diversity, champion inclusion, and cultivate transformative leadership. As the founder and CEO of Maximal Development Education, Dr. Collier empowers organizations, leaders, and communities to foster equitable environments that celebrate cultural diversity, as well as examine transformative educational models that champion equity and social justice. Her motto “transform the world, one mind at a time”, is evident in her unique approach to teaching, leading and designing impactful programs that support historically resilient communities.

When she is not teaching, Dr. Collier now dedicates her efforts to promoting liberatory leadership models, particularly for women in early career stages. Shartriya utilizes the “positive intelligence operating system” a proven method for determining one’s potential saboteurs and helps clients to build mental fitness to thrive as leaders in the workplace. She is also the creator of the journal, EnCouraged Women Leaders: 30 Days to Reclaim Your Peace and Life Purpose, which guides women to reconnect with their purpose through reflection and actionable insights. Contact Drtriya.com.

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