The five faces of oppression are violence, exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, and cultural imperialism. A few examples of faces of oppression that exist in the United States society today are racism, sexism, and religious persecution. Racism is treating people differently based on their skin color or ethnicity. Sexism is treating people differently based on their gender. And lastly, religious persecution is treating people differently because of their religion. All of these faces of oppression in today’s society have also been portrayed throughout history in the United States, not just in today’s world.
For example, exploitation and violence have been shown through slavery. Slaves were people who were forbidden to quit their service for an enslaver and were treated by the enslaver as their property. January 31, 1865, passed by Congress and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States. Although slavery was abolished a long time ago in today’s society, slavery still exists through child sex trafficking/sex trafficking, forced labor, and the unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers.
