Facing the Black Shadow Quotes

“What is the black shadow? It's the running inner dialogue we have with ourselves all day long about our fears of being inferior as black people. It is our internalization of the white man's lie that blacks are inferior to whites -- the very lie that was the foundation of our ancestors' enslavement. The black shadow is more than simply internalized racism; it's also our complex feelings of fear and despair about being black, and consequently our longing to be less black.”
― Marlene F. Watson, Facing the Black Shadow

“The black shadow is a burden every black person carries, whether or not we are conscious of it. It lives deep in our unconscious minds and influences us all the time, and we are neither aware nor mindful of its profound influence on every aspect of our lives. What is the black shadow? It’s the running inner dialogue we have with ourselves all day long about our fears of being inferior as black people. It is our internalization of the white man’s lie that blacks are inferior to whites – the very lie that was the foundation of our ancestors’ enslavement.”
― Marlene F. Watson, Facing the Black Shadow