Slavery And Segregation In America During The 1800s And 1900s

Throughout history, oppression has manifested in many different forms, one of the most prominent being slavery and segregation in America during the 1800s and 1900s. Civil Rights activist W.E.B. Dubois comments on the unjust treatment of African Americans during his time with his literary piece Souls of Black Folk. In the book, we are able to better understand the societal hardships that African Americans endured as a “higher class” or a society that was deemed of greater worth oppressed them. However, the fact of the matter is, it wasn’t quite as simple as one group oppressing another. Instead, the oppression was greatly rooted in the individual. Oppression truly finds its legs when an individual, in a way, begins to oppress themselves.

Oppression,

He left for a certain period of time, only to return to find that the town had not changed. Many of his former students had either taken their parents' place within the impoverished society, or had died. This can most likely be attributed to the students’ belief that this was “their place” in society. They allowed society to dictate what their future was, believing that they themselves were not meant for more in society. The individual believed that he could not achieve true freedom and success, thereby oppressing himself and further enforcing society’s unfounded belief. Learningforjustice.org gives the example of self oppression found in gender norms, stating, “internalized oppression often includes negative ideas based on gender and class: for example, girls who believe they cannot be great at math or science or students living in poverty who believe they are not qualified for advanced classes.” The idea of self oppression can be seen in this example, showing that when we believe a false truth, we can fall victim to oppression not by the hand of others imposing their will on us, but instead by our inability or unwillingness to