Abstract

Oppression is a universal experience even though many agents and targets are oblivious of their roles. The unconsciousness of the oppressed and dominated individuals and some of those who are responsible for their dehumanizing experiences ensure that the phenomenon is unseen, hence unchallenged. Not only does the lack of awareness keep the oppressed submerged in this reality, but also prevents them from seeing how their response to oppression may help to perpetuate the system. Therefore, the first step in breaking the cycle of oppression in which people are entrapped is to walk with the oppressed to a point where their own enlightenment is possible. This walk which will bring the reality of oppression to the consciousness of the oppressed is what will also neutralize the phenomenon’s power of self-reproduction.