#internalized opression

Header by starbuck @TDA and @HPFT

The Snakes of HPFT are proud to present our very own ‘A to Z’ Stories series, featuring all of the amazingly talented Slytherin Authors from the @hpfanfictalk Archives!  This series includes 31 Slytherin authors in total, with 60+ of our best stories, all covered by 6 of our amazing artists.  We will be going through the entire alphabet, highlighting a few stories that begin with each letter, and every fic will get its very own Picspam graphic; made by one of our talented Snake artists to accompany it.  So be sure to check back in here every so often over the next few months, so that you can catch all 26 letters of the Slytherin A to Z alphabet! <3

Slytherins Say That the Letter B is For…

- Blank by BlackPixie | @the-swimming-netballer

picspam graphic made by RoxiMalfoy @HPFT

Rating: M for Mature Audiences Category: Harry Potter Fanfiction Era: Rebuilding Era/Alternate Universe Story Type: One-Shot [Completed] Pairing(s): None Summary:

“You Are Blank”

- To Boil Telephone Porridge by teh tarik | @anagrammaddict

picspam graphic made by Rumpelstiltskin @HPFT

Rating: M for Mature Audiences Category: Original Fiction Era: N/A Story Type: One-Shot [Completed] Pairing(s): Original Male Character x Original Male Character Summary:

“Hello?” Kwai Sim says.

There’s a rustle at the other end, the plastic-pop of interference. Nobody answers, but the line is still holding.

Her heartbeat leaps to a frenetic pace before she even realises why.

“Daniel? Ah Khim? Is that you?” she says, very carefully. If she doesn’t say his name right, or with enough caution, it might not be him. Just her imagination, tricking the name off her tongue.

- Braided by Diogenissa | @diogenissa

picspam graphic made by Rumpelstiltskin @HPFT

Rating: M for Mature Audiences Category: Harry Potter Fanfiction Era: Between Wars Story Type: One-Shot [Completed] Pairing(s): None Summary:

she said black people don't like to learn, that they're loud, ghetto, rachet, the usual gamut of stereotypes that we hear about our people. and she was removing herself from black people. peeling herself away and folding into herself. she didn't want to be associated with "those kinds" of black people. and as i tried to show her how the generalizations that she held about our people were just that--generalizations that cause harm and aren't even necessarily true--i got shook because i know that i used to be her.

i remember walking through my piece of shit high school's halls and listening to hip hop and switching the song when i got close to my classroom door so that no one could hear through my headphones. i didn't want to talk to anybody, because i essentially despised everyone in that school, but heaven forbid they hear some rap leaking out of my headphones. so i'd switch to something "safer" so if anyone asked what i was listening to, i could tell them truthfully without the inevitable nose crinkle or the "oh of course she's listening to that" facial expression.

i remember taking a flat iron to my hair every morning because it was so fucking hot i'd sweat out my roots, and i didn't want any edges to curl up, because then i'd get the mocking black power fists from classmates who were decidedly not.

i remember not having an advocate in my black vice principal when i told her that i'd been called a hot sauce loving n-word for having fried chicken in my lunch. she said that perhaps i shouldn't bring foods that would make people say bad things about me. 

i remember adopting a generic accent when my aave was mocked by a girl in a class who would always call me her "sistah girl". 

and so much more.

it's disconcerting to see someone going through the same thing that i went through in high school, but being on the other side. having a term for it. internalized oppression is a bitch. and you don't realize how much it really affected you until you're on the other side of it. at least for me. why should i try to separate myself from my blackness? why should i try to be this amorphous blob of beige just to make other people happy?  

so the conversation that we had i believe got her thinking. i think i sent her off questioning a few problematic lines of thinking. she's so smart and has so much potential. i can see she's on the edge of a huge shift in her thinking. i hope it is something we can revisit.

it's so interesting to do a little introspective thinking and realize how far you've come. the fact that i had that period of trying to assimilate kind of pisses me off tbqh. but you know. you're a kid, so what are you gonna do. 

– With three renowned children’s books, one author aims to change the way children view themselves –

SOURCE:  Black News.Com

Nationwide – Ideas of beauty are directly affected by cultural factors that typically influence the way young children and adults view themselves. Through the reinforcement of dominant beauty standards, people of color have been taught to dislike certain aspects of who they are both internally and externally.  Over time adults have become more aware of unrealistic ideals of beauty and begin to change their perspectives, while children are left adhering to dated views of what is considered attractive.

Bookcover - "Grandma Says Our Hair Has Flair"

Children as young as three show preferences for dolls that uphold eurocentric ideals of beauty ranging from the shade of their skin to the texture of their hair.  During and after playtime, children are often left with negative opinions of their appearance and a sense of internalized racism. Because of this, it has become increasingly important to teach young children that beauty comes in a variety of shapes and colors.

With three renowned children’s books, director and founder of The Culture C.O.-O.P (Caring, Optimistic, Open-Minded, People) Sandy Holman hopes to expose children to the diversity around them. The mission of the Culture C.O.-O.P. is “to promote understanding and respect for diversity/equity, cultural competency, literacy and quality education for all.” Sandy aims to show children that they are beautiful just the way they are.