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Cultural Oppression and the High-Risk Status of African Americans

Norfolk State University

One of the persistent and perennial challenges faced by African Americans is that of cultural oppression. Although the effects of oppression on African Americans have received enormous attention, much of the focus has been on political and economic oppression as the primary sources of the social problems that African Americans confront. Less emphasis has been placed on connecting political and economic oppression to cultural oppression and on viewing cultural oppression as foundational in explaining the high societal vulnerability of African Americans. This article identifies and examines how cultural oppression has produced three risk factors—(a) cultural estrangement, (b) attenuation of Black collectivism, and (c) spiritual alien-ation—that diminish African Americans’ ability to advance and prosper in the United States. Separately and collectively, these factors place African Americans at high risk of experiencing continued obstacles toward group affirmation and empowerment.

Key Words: cultural oppression • African Americans • social class divisions • spirituality • Eurocentric domination

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