Internalized Racism

(1) The poison of racism seeping into the psyches of people of color, until people of color believe about themselves what whites believe about them -- that they are inferior to whites; (2) The behavior of one person of color toward another that stems from this psychic poisoning. Often called “inter-racial hostility;” and (3) The acceptance by persons of color of Eurocentric values. (See Harris and Ordoira, op. cit. pp. 304—3 16.)

From Structural Racism, by Keith Lawrence, Aspen Institute on Community Change and Terry Keleher, Applied Research Center at UC Berkeley, for the Race and Public Policy Conference 2004

Definitions by Sharon Martinas, Fourth Revision Spring 1995


» Glossary for terminology related to decolonizing