Bias filtered: internalized racial oppression, experiences of racism, and well-being and authenticity among black americans

Abstract

Internalized racial oppression and experiences with prejudice correlate negatively with psychological well-being. Authenticity is a well-established contributor to well-being, yet research has not addressed how racial identity and its potential consequences relate to authenticity and therefore well-being. African American adults (N = 451) completed measures of internalized racial oppression, experiences of racism, authenticity, and well-being. Authenticity was positively related to well-being and negatively related to both internalized racial oppression and experienced racism. Both internalized racial oppression and experienced racism independently and negatively predicted authenticity and well-being. Mediational analyses showed that authenticity fully accounted for the link between internalized racial oppression and well-being but only partially explained the influence of experiences with racism on well-being. This research contributes a richer understanding of how internalized racial oppression and experiences with racism and impact racialized populations, as well as how authenticity may mediate these negative effects. Implications and future research directions are discussed.