White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

by Robin DiAngelo

The International Bestseller

'With clarity and compassion, DiAngelo allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to "bad people." In doing so, she moves our national discussions forward. This is a necessary book for all people invested in societal change' Claudia Rankine

Anger. Fear. Guilt. Denial. Silence. These are the ways in which ordinary white people react when it is pointed out to them that they have done or said something that has - unintentionally - caused racial offence or hurt. After, all, a racist is the worst thing a person can be, right? But these reactions only serve to silence people of colour, who cannot give honest feedback to 'liberal' white people lest they provoke a dangerous emotional reaction.

Robin DiAngelo coined the term 'White Fragility' in 2011 to describe this process and is here to show us how it serves to uphold the system of white supremacy. Using knowledge and insight gained over decades of running racial awareness workshops and working on this idea as a Professor of Whiteness Studies, she shows us how we can start having more honest conversations, listen to each other better and react to feedback with grace and humility. It is not enough to simply hold abstract progressive views and condemn the obvious racists on social media - change starts with us all at a practical, granular level, and it is time for all white people to take responsibility for relinquishing their own racial supremacy.

'By turns mordant and then inspirational, an argument that powerful forces and tragic histories stack the deck fully against racial justice alongside one that we need only to be clearer, try harder, and do better' David Roediger, Los Angeles Review of Books

'The value in White Fragility lies in its methodical, irrefutable exposure of racism in thought and action, and its call for humility and vigilance' Katy Waldman, New Yorker

'A vital, necessary, and beautiful book' Michael Eric Dyson

• ISBN10: 0141990562
• ISBN13: 9780141990569
• Publish Date: 7 February 2019 (first published 26 June 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[manonblackbeak]

As a Latina who doesn't live in the U.S. this was interesting, but the book is quite repetitive

[nsperry92]

READ. THIS. BOOK. This is exactly what I was looking for to learn more about myself and how I bring racisim to the table.
I highlighted just about every page. I only wish I had picked it up sooner.
I now feel that much more encouraged to learn about and speak against racism.

[Kevin Costain]

The defining of racism here is useful and fundamental; it does seem we throw around the words a lot. DiAngelo explains that prejudice is a pre-judgement of someone based on little or not information but, say a person’s skin. Discrimination then is that action that comes from prejudice. The action might be very subtle like talking badly about a person or group, all the way to violence. I imagine this sort of thing in media; the news anchor speaks in a disgusted tone when talking about African-American choices. When the group’s prejudice is backed by power and legal authority, then we have racism.

This useful way of looking at racism allows us to understand why some black people do well in America despite racism (they can swim against this tide). It also explains why black people can hold prejudice against those considered white but cannot be racist (they do not posses the system’s authority to do so). For example, and I have seen this point of view from white-Americans first-hand: “The racial ideology that circulates in the United States rationalizes racial hierarchies as the outcome of a natural order resulting from either genetics or individual effort or talent.”

This is the kicker - and I agree: “The dimensions of racism benefiting white people are usually invisible to whites.”

As a secondary effect, this book should help you suss out the way media outlets that tend to lean right enable racism. It’s a bold claim, yes, but it’s there in media if you look. If you see the media they’ll say that “white fragility” is all-or-nothing and that seeing society as favoring whites is “like saying people are racist” - of of course, on some reflection these media types are removing nuance and creating binary division. This is probably the best way they can think of to maintain the status quo.

And this is the big, uncomfortable “elephant in the room” that White Fragility does well at showing. You may not agree with all of it, but should be read - hopefully lead to introspection and change.

[kiracanread]

I enjoyed this book, it really showed a lot of misunderstandings that white people have concerning racism and equality, I read this for the black out buddy read hosted by bookswithshae on youtube and I must say, this book wasn't as valuable of a read to me as White Rage and I'd recommend that over this one.