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Abstract
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Racism is a social determinant of health directly associated with negative outcomes in children.1,2 Despite more attention being paid to the concept of racial equity, in which race no longer predicts health outcomes,3 it remains imperative to examine and repair the persistent negative impact of racism on overall child health and well-being. The tripartite model of racism4 illustrates a theoretical framework for understanding racism at 3 levels:
Institutionalized racism exists in covert and insidious ways within larger social institutions (education, housing, and labor markets)5,–7 and is closely linked to inequities in safety and prosperity.8
Interpersonal racism occurs directly between individuals, often displayed as intentional or unintentional microaggressions and macroaggressions in casual social situations.
Internalized racism is the internalization of negative stereotypes about the abilities and intrinsic worth of Black or other marginalized individuals. This internal acceptance poses a direct threat to the emotional health, racial self-identity, and self-esteem of Black children.
Because police brutality and social injustice are persistently inflicted on the Black community,10,11 this manuscript will help health care providers understand how racism is theorized to be internalized, review Segregation-era research on racial identity formation in Black children, and provide a timeline of racial conceptualization and bias formation in children.
How Racism is Internalized
Persistent economic marginalization and devaluation, combined with societal classifications of superiority and privilege within the White subgroup, can lead to the subconscious normalization of systemic oppression.12,–14 Socially observed stereotypes, particularly as represented by news and media outlets, can lead to a negative sense of self-worth or even distancing oneself from one’s own racial group.9 Research shows a positive correlation between racial discrimination and internalized negative beliefs regarding racial inferiority among Black adults in the United States.15,16
Segregation and Self-Racial Identity Formation
In 1954, a landmark research study titled “Racial Identification and Preference in Negro Children”17 became critical evidence in the Supreme Court case Brown v Board of Education. Colloquially called “The Doll Study,” Black children were presented with 1 phenotypically White and 1 phenotypically Black doll. The vast majority showed preference toward White dolls and negative attitudes toward Black dolls. Researchers concluded: “It is clear that the Negro child, by the age of five is aware of the fact that to be colored in contemporary American society is a mark of inferior status. A child accepts as early as six, seven or eight the negative stereotypes about his own group.”
The Supreme Court voted 9-0 that segregation in schools violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The Brown decision cites The Doll Study in its 11th footnote, quoting that, “segregation of White and colored children in public schools has detrimental effect upon the colored children” and this sense of inferiority “affects the motivation of a child to learn.” ...
Language: en |