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By definition, the concept of systemic oppression is very complex, with many different forms. Whether it is about race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, or religion, a group is deprived of the same opportunities and advantages as their counterparts. At the heart of all systemic oppression are centuries of laws, policies, and actions meant to better and advance one group at the expense and detriment of another disadvantaged group. Systemic oppression has been so deeply ingrained in society for so long, and it is so insidious that most people have partaken in these types of injustices in the past. I have been guilty of contributing to racial suppression through implicit bias passed down through family stories or movies and shows that influence ways of thinking. I have taken rugged looks inward and had uncomfortable conversations with myself. That is what it takes to acknowledge unacceptably and shift patterns of thinking. These conversations are just one of many ways we can work towards ensuring systemic oppression is left in the past.
Gender oppression has been the type I have had the most experience with. Like a cockroach, it thrives in certain climates, like the wildland firefighting community that often prides itself on being a good old boys’ club. It has also shown up in surprising places, like a family member telling me I had no business driving across Canada with a friend a few years ago to deliver a car to my mom. Their argument was I had two small children at home (to that, I say I did not leave them alone; my husband is capable of caring for them). They went on to say I had no business undertaking such a dangerous trip where bad weather is a concern. I asked why they were so upset about my journey in October, but not that my husband made the same drive in the dead of winter. I never got a straight answer why my husband’s trip was acceptable, but mine was not. Yet, I knew the reason.
My struggles with oppression as a female are nothing compared to systemic racism against Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); specifically, the countless ways racism has continued to survive by putting systems in place that result in the oppression of the Black Community (House-Niamke & Sato, 2019). From slavery to Jim Crow laws to mass incarceration and policies that greatly favor one racial group over another have been in place for centuries. This racial oppression is brutal to dismantle. The heartening news is people continue to fight against it.
Beyond the reckoning and the fight for racial equality taking place on the national stage, there is also an ongoing effort in Alaska to end the systemic oppression of Alaska Natives. Things are changing; land acknowledgments when people gather on ancestral land is happening more and more. Communities and landmarks are reverting to the original names bestowed long before those were unfairly changed. Social workers have a direct opportunity to work with Alaska Natives to fight against system oppression. As a social worker, I would make a real effort to learn what programs are already in place to address this. I would support Alaska Natives to help them work through how past pressure has affected today’s generation.
All the while, I am integrating cultural practices, traditions, and ways of life into services and programs that are in place to help Alaska Natives while working through residual trauma resulting from generations of systemic racism and oppression. When crossing paths with individuals who contribute to Alaska Natives’ oppression by expressing covert or overt racist behaviors and beliefs, I will do what I can to educate them and see the harm their thoughts and words cause. When working with Alaska Natives, I will be mindful of cultural beliefs and ways of life. As the ongoing fight to end racial oppression continues, social workers have opportunities to contribute to the effort and affect real change. Listening with open minds while exhibiting patience and kindness will go a long way here in Alaska and beyond.
References
House-Niamke, S., & Sato, T. (2019). Resistance to systemic oppression by students of color in a diversity course for preservice teachers. A Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, 55(2), 160–179.
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