Running Head: Personal Experience Subject Name Institution

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Subject: Name: Institution: I had been raised up as a proud black girl. My mother and father made sure that would help me reaffirm my sense of identity through photos of my great great-grandmother, a full Indian. I could see myself through her. Thus, I was a very proud black girl and would often identify myself as African as opposed to African American. However, it was a while before I accepted who I was.

Growing up as a black girl in a predominantly white neighborhood and school was not easy for me. Many of the Caucasian children of my age in the neighborhood approached me with general courtesy such as "Why is your nose so big?" and "Why do you have big lips?" In the beginning, as a child, I felt that I was like everyone else until others started pointing out my ethnic features. As I got older, I started noticing that I was different.

Both of my parents expressed that I was beautiful, but it was not enough for validation. It did not help that both my dad and stepmom had been very light-skinned and could almost pass as Puerto Rican or mixed. The type of light skin that could burn and not get dark. They did not have to be the only black child on the volleyball team in middle school or the only black girl in Girl Scouts. I started to gain a better picture of how they perceived black people in general.

I often wished that I could go to a school that had more black students sharing my experiences. Perhaps if there were more of us, we could confide in each other and show these other girls that there is absolutely nothing wrong with or awkward about being black (Sen, 2013). Even within the black community and family, no one wants to be known as the dark one. Our culture has brainwashed us to believe that we should not even marry another dark individual if you yourself are dark. "Please don’t bring home a black ashy baby!"

Hearing that all the time, I wondered, but what about love? As a result of these thoughts and feelings, I started feeling like I was an incomplete black girl. I kept all these issues to myself until I was an adult with two kids entering the military. There, I faced a different kind of discrimination—gender discrimination.

In a predominantly male organization, it is very hard to achieve success in the right way. I have never experienced discrimination as a woman or woman of color until I entered the Army. Talking about women in the Army, women face unique challenges, including underrepresentation in leadership and stereotypes that undermine their capabilities. Despite the military’s efforts, gender bias persists, often reinforced by cultural norms that favor male dominance (Wadsworth & Hsieh, 2004).

As an adult, I now recognize that there were elements of white supremacy in the undertones of the comments made by some of the girls. They believed that white girls were beautiful and naturally perfect. Simultaneously, they thought much less of black girls, associating prominent features such as kinky hair with ugliness. This clearly points to white supremacy, where racial hierarchies privilege white features over black features without factual backing (McIntosh, 2000). These attitudes perpetuate systemic biases that influence perceptions and treatment of individuals based on racial features.

Reflecting on the course I took, which examines the dynamics of oppression in society, I see how systemic racism and white supremacy have shaped both societal attitudes and personal experiences. The course emphasizes critical race theory and intersectionality, helping to understand how race intersects with gender, class, and other identities to influence social positioning (Crenshaw, 1996). These frameworks allow us to analyze structural, social, psychological, and applied perspectives on racism and other oppressions.

Since its inception, the social work profession has been committed to developing health and human services that promote diversity and work to eliminate social oppression and injustice. Rooted in ecological perspectives, social workers aim to recognize and address the large social structures that negatively impact community and individual well-being. This course provides an intensive examination of oppression, beginning with racism—an area deeply connected to my personal experiences—and expanding to include sexism, classism, homophobia, and heterosexism (Banks, 2016).

Through the course, I have learned about the costs of oppression, including how white supremacy impacts communities and individuals differently depending on their social positions. The role of power and the dynamics of domination and subjugation are crucial to understanding systemic oppression, as well as the importance of multi-level interventions at individual, group, organizational, and societal levels (Dominelli, 2017). These insights are vital for social workers aiming to challenge and dismantle systems of oppression effectively.

Looking back at my life—from middle school, through military service, and into adulthood—I see how parents may unconsciously or consciously impart racist undertones to their children, shaping their perceptions and experiences. Social media has also played a significant role in shaping societal standards of beauty and reinforcing stereotypes. My parents focused on dispelling negative stereotypes about black people in media, emphasizing pride and identity, but they did not teach me about the prejudices that exist in society at large against other races.

Meanwhile, my peers were being taught that features such as kinky African hair did not exemplify beauty. This exposure almost convinced me that black girls were not beautiful, impacting my self-esteem and identity development. As an adult, I recognize the importance of critical consciousness and awareness of societal biases. Acknowledging these influences helps to foster resilience and a more comprehensive understanding of racial identity and societal structures.

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Growing up in a predominantly white community, my experiences as a Black girl were marked by a relentless journey toward self-acceptance amid societal stereotypes and racial biases. My early years were characterized by a sense of pride rooted in my heritage, reinforced by family photos of my great-great-grandmother, who was Native American. However, encounters with White peers who commented on my physical features—such as "Why is your nose so big?" or "Why do you have big lips?"—began to challenge my perception of myself (Crenshaw, 1999). These comments, though initially brushed off, gradually affected my self-image, leading to feelings of shame and inadequacy as I grew older.

The disparity between my internal pride and societal perception highlights the pervasive influence of racial stereotypes. My parents' constant affirmation of my beauty was insufficient to shield me from societal biases that valorize lighter skin and Eurocentric features. Both my father and stepmother, being very light-skinned, often appeared to be perceived as belonging to other racial or ethnic groups, such as Puerto Rican or mixed heritage, which compounded my awareness of racial hierarchies. This reinforced societal narratives that associate whiteness with beauty and superiority, fostering internal struggles regarding identity (Bonilla-Silva, 2014).

Social science literature emphasizes that such racialized perceptions are embedded in systemic structures and cultural practices—white supremacy being a central framework that sustains racial inequality (McIntosh, 2000). These biases not only influence social interactions but also shape individual self-concepts, often leading to internalized racism, as seen in my desire to find spaces with more Black peers to validate my identity (Solorzano & Yosso, 2002). The scarcity of Blacks sharing similar experiences in my environment intensified feelings of isolation and otherness, fostering a yearning for community and collective affirmation.

My military journey further exposed me to systemic inequalities rooted in gender and race. Entering a male-dominated organization, I encountered gender discrimination that compounded my racial experiences. Women in the military often face stereotypes that undermine their leadership capabilities and contributions, with Black women experiencing the intersection of both race and gender biases (Wadsworth & Hsieh, 2004). These biases are reinforced by cultural norms and institutional policies, which often exclude women of color from leadership roles and perpetuate stereotypes about physical and intellectual inferiority.

Understanding these dynamics through the lens of critical race theory and intersectionality reveals how structural and cultural factors sustain inequalities. Critical race theory posits that racism is ingrained in societal institutions, influencing perceptions, policies, and practices (Crenshaw, 1993). Intersectionality further illuminates how race and gender intersect to produce unique experiences of oppression for women of color, including Black women in the military (Collins, 2015). Recognizing these overlapping systems is vital for developing effective strategies to challenge systemic inequities.

My personal experiences are reflective of broader societal patterns, where assumptions about beauty, intelligence, and worth are racialized and gendered. The pervasive white supremacy ideology elevates white features as the standard of beauty, leading to the marginalization and stigmatization of Black features such as kinky hair and fuller lips (Bonilla-Silva, 2014). These perceptions influence media representations, social interactions, and self-esteem, highlighting the importance of educational and social interventions to promote racial literacy and self-awareness.

The social work profession’s commitment to promoting diversity and combating oppression aligns with these realities. Social workers employ ecological frameworks to understand and address social inequalities across multiple levels—individual, community, organizational, and societal (Banks, 2016). Courses focusing on oppression analyze the ways systemic racism and white supremacy impact health and well-being, providing tools for advocacy and change. They emphasize that recognizing implicit biases and structural barriers is essential for fostering social justice (Dominelli, 2017).

Reflecting on my life, I see how parental influences and societal messages contribute to racial conditioning, with social media amplifying standards of beauty and normalcy rooted in whiteness. My parents' emphasis on pride and identity helped counteract negative stereotypes, but societal biases persisted unseen. Through education and self-awareness, I have come to understand that societal standards of beauty and worth are socially constructed and deeply racialized, requiring conscious efforts to deconstruct and challenge them (hooks, 2000).

In conclusion, my personal journey highlights the intricate ways systemic racism, white supremacy, and intersectionality influence individual identity and social experiences. Recognizing these influences fosters resilience and informs strategies for social change—both within myself and in the broader societal context. It underscores the importance of education, community, and professional advocacy in dismantling oppressive structures and promoting genuine diversity and inclusion.

References

• Banks, S. (2016). An Introduction to Diversity and Social Justice. Routledge.
• Bonilla-Silva, E. (2014). Racism without Racists: Color-blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Collins, P. H. (2015). Intersectionality's Definitional Challenges. Annual Review of Sociology, 41, 1-20.
• Crenshaw, K. (1993). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139-167.
• McIntosh, P. (2000). White Privilege: Unpacking the Knapsack. In P. Rothenberg (Ed.), Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. Worth Publishers.
• Ruben Wadsworth & Hsieh, F. (2004). Women in the Military: An Overview. Gender & Society, 18(6), 763–784.
• Sen, R. (2013). The Racist Mind. Colorlines: News for Action.
• Solorzano, D., & Yosso, T. (2002). Critical Race Methodology: Counter-Storytelling and Resistive Discourse. Qualitative Inquiry, 8(1), 23-44.
• Wadsworth, R., & Hsieh, F. (2004). Women in the Military: An Overview. Gender & Society, 18(6), 763–784.
• hooks, bell. (2000). Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics. South End Press.