"People tell me quietly that they do not feel enough in certain spaces. They say they become too visible the moment they enter a room. They explain that in one setting they are seen as too feminine and in another not feminine enough. Immigrants describe feeling too foreign in professional circles, yet not authentic enough within their own communities. Queer individuals share that they are called brave in one place and told they are too much in another."
"When I first read Marlene Watson's Facing the Black Shadow, I found myself pausing often and rereading passages as if someone were finally giving language to experiences that many people have carried quietly for generations. Watson describes the "black shadow" as an internalized belief in Black inferiority, one that settles not only in the mind but in relationships, families, and the body."
The 'black shadow' denotes an internalized belief in Black inferiority that settles in mind, relationships, families, and the body. Colorism, self-blame, and the long emotional reach of slavery shape emotional life and self-perception. Versions of this shadow arise across different communities marked as other, producing similar emotional imprints despite differing histories. Identity shifts across social spaces, causing people to feel too visible, not enough, foreign, or inauthentic depending on context. Names function as gateways to intimacy and meaningful connection. Healing begins by recognizing and releasing inherited beliefs and internalized narratives that no longer serve individual or collective flourishing.
Read at Psychology Today
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