THE IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL RACISM ON THE IDENTITY FORMATION OF BLACK WOMEN: A PSYCHODRAMATIST’S PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This article aims to describe how structural racism impacts the identity formation of Black women from a psychodramatist’s perspective. The research was developed through a bibliographic review with a qualitative approach, using publications available in Portuguese from the SciELO database, based on the descriptors “structural racism,” “Black women’s identity,” “psychodrama,” “racial relations,” and “intersectionality.” The results show that the historical process of enslavement and the ideology of white supremacy have contributed to the devaluation of Black women, who are subjected to overlapping oppressions of race, gender, and class. This reality has significant impacts on the self-esteem, recognition, and identity formation of these women. It is observed that structural racism operates continuously, perpetuating inequalities and affecting the mental health of the Black population. In this context, Psychodrama emerges as an effective psychotherapeutic tool to promote self-awareness, empowerment, and the re-signification of experiences of oppression. Psychodramatic techniques, especially role reversal, enable empathetic and transformative experiences, strengthening identity and contributing to the confrontation of racist structures. It is concluded that combating structural racism requires recognizing its historical roots and promoting therapeutic and social spaces that reaffirm the dignity of Black women.