Speaking the Unspoken: Understanding Internalized Racial Oppression from the Perspective of Black Women Psychotherapists

ABSTRACT This article focuses on internalized racial oppression, a less understood yet detrimental aspect of racism. This article is based on a qualitative grounded theory study that explored how Black women psychotherapists understand the phenomenon. Literature and findings reveal that there is no existing shared understanding of how Black women experience IRO. Findings support how systemic racism upholds IRO and how IRO is intersectional. I use sociopolitical concepts and psychological object relations to discuss the findings as understood by Black women. In this, colorism, hair texturism, double consciousness were unexpected but important findings. Implications and future directions are discussed.