Psychological and political liberation: Strategies to promote power, wellness, and liberation among anti‐racist activists

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a robust racial justice movement in the United States, which has pursued power with the goal of promoting wellness and liberating people from racially and historically oppressed communities. Organizations such as Black Lives Matter and Showing Up for Racial Justice continue building power and promoting psychological and political liberation. The purpose of our study is to investigate the developmental processes by which anti‐racist activists resist psychological and political oppression to approach wellness and liberation. We conducted 24 interviews from self‐identified anti‐racist activists in the United States and utilized thematic analysis to construct qualitative codes to identify the psychological and political strategies activists implemented in their racial justice work. We found that activists adopted four psychological strategies, two political strategies, and two bridging strategies to resist oppression. Psychologically, activists tended to examine political and historical contexts to understand the root causes of oppression and how their own oppressed and privileged identities fit within those larger systems. Politically, activists sought opportunities to enhance their capacity as activists and engage in critical actions to build power and seek liberation. Bridging these psychological and political domains, activists also formulated a theory of liberation and engaged in critical self‐reflection, which guided their political actions.

Shards from the glass ceiling: Deconstructing marginalizing systems in relation to critical consciousness development

“…In the context of critical reflection , BIPOC student leaders and the authors engaged in critical dialogue with one another in exploring, applying Harrell’s framework, naming, and theorizing systems of oppression within the organization (i.e., unpaid labor, culturally uninformed programming, restrictions in social action) and the larger institution (i.e., lack of resources, acts of physical distancing, repressing findings, and co‐opting student‐led initiatives). Collins and colleagues (2020) note that “naming one’s world” is a way to identify historic, social, and political forces of oppression in interaction with one’s personal identity and a critical step towards liberation. Regarding critical motivation , student leaders and the authors challenged deficit notions surrounding their identities, and collectively reframed their own social location in terms of liberation.…”

“…Yet, college campuses also yield microaggressions, hyper/invisibility, and multi‐level systemic silencing for individuals occupying historically marginalized roles (Smith et al, 2016). Activists frequently encounter glass ceiling effects or superficial gestures towards change within the academy when attempting to push for racial justice (Collins et al, 2020; Turner, 2002). Institutions often engage in the co‐opting of grassroots student and faculty‐led social change efforts in a strategic effort to quell systemic transformation while attempting to appear “progressive” (Alexander, 2005).…”

Traumatic Incidents and Experiences of Racism and Sexism: Examining Associations with Components of Critical Consciousness for System‐Involved Girls of Color

“…Although these direct associations were evidenced for structural oppression and critical action, we did not find evidence for the interplay of these manifestations in predicting critical reflection or action. Girls’ lived experiences undoubtedly reflect complex intersections of marginalizing forces that may not have been captured by the multigroup analytic approach (Collins, Kohfeldt, & Kornbluh, 2019). Indeed, qualitative research suggests that adult Black women resist distinguishing between racism and sexism and report experiencing these socio‐structures simultaneously (Jones & Shorter‐Gooden, 2003).…”

Interrogating Whiteness in Community Research and Action

“…Also in Australia, Bishop and colleagues (Bishop, Vicary, Browne, & Guard, 2009) refer to the policy of forced removal of Aboriginal children as part of an effort to make Aboriginal people White, which was a precursor to an assimilation policy intended to create a homogenous Australian culture. In the United States, Collins, Kohfeldt, and Kornbluh (2019) describe the ways in which antiracist activists understand White supremacy ideology as an underlying cause of racialized oppression. They present a model of antiracist activism that seeks to undermine White supremacy and institutional racism through critical consciousness and social action.…”