The impact of racism on the self-esteem of black women in the Brazilian context

Abstract

This research, with a qualitative approach and a bibliographic review, discusses the impact of racism on the self-esteem of black women. The working hypothesis centers on the idea that black women see themselves in a place of non-belonging within a racist brazilian culture. We justify our investigation by recognizing the need to formulate coping strategies to deal with racism, thus articulating the role of psychology in promoting the mental health of black women. We aim to examine how racism functions as a social force on women in contemporary Brazil. Specifically, we reflect on the psychosocial effects of racism on the construction of black women’s self-esteem and their coping strategies in the face of racial discrimination. Our results reinforce that racism limits the possibilities of both the concrete and subjective experiences of black women. The self-esteem of black women is linked to feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, and the invalidation of well-being. We found that racism tends to strengthen dysfunctions such as alcohol and/or drug abuse. On the other hand, black identity as a process of resistance is able to express itself affirmatively, countering racism. Scientific publications on racial aspects and mental health still lack a deeper debate about psychological practice concerning black patients, which may affect training in its broadest sense.