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

155 Pages·2018·1.42 MB·English

by  Robin DiAngelo

Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Contents
Foreword
Author’s Note
Introduction: We Can’t Get There from Here
1. The Challenges of Talking to White People About Racism
2. Racism and White Supremacy
3. Racism After the Civil Rights Movement
4. How Does Race Shape the Lives of White People?
5. The Good/Bad Binary
6. Anti-Blackness
7. Racial Triggers for White People
8. The Result: White Fragility
9. White Fragility in Action
10. White Fragility and the Rules of Engagement
11. White Women’s Tears
12. Where Do We Go from Here?
Resources for Continuing Education
Acknowledgments
Notes
Copyright
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Guide
Cover
Copyright
Contents
1 The Challenges of Talking to White People About Racism
PRAISE FOR WHITE FRAGILITY
“White Fragility is a rare and incisive examination of the system of white-body
supremacy, which binds us all as Americans. Robin DiAngelo explicates the
underlying Western ideologies of individualism and presumed objectivity that
tighten those bonds. But she doesn’t just analyze this system. With authenticity
and clarity, she provides the antidote to white fragility and a road map for
developing white racial stamina and humility. White Fragility loosens the bonds
of white supremacy and binds us back together as human beings.”
—RESMAA MENAKEM,
author of My Grandmother’s Hands and Rock the Boat
“What an amazingly powerful book Robin DiAngelo has written! This
remarkable book encourages folks to embrace a more deeply nuanced
exploration of white culture and dominance and, as such, will be a great
contribution in promoting the necessary policy change and healing that this
country requires. Dr. DiAngelo’s work in deconstructing whiteness is not only
brilliant, it is written in a way that is crystal clear and accessible to each and
every reader. While this is a powerful scholarly analysis of white fragility, it is
also an invitation to engage in deep personal inquiry and collective change. As a
woman of color, I find hope in this book because of its potential to disrupt the
patterns and relationships that have emerged out of long-standing colonial
principles and beliefs. White Fragility is an essential tool toward authentic
dialogue and action. May it be so!”
—SHAKTI BUTLER,
president of World Trust and director of Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness
Visible
“As powerful forces of white racism again swell, DiAngelo invites white
progressives to have a courageous conversation about their culture of complicity.
To eradicate racism, she encourages white people to relinquish ingrained hyper-
attachment to individualism and embrace predictable patterns of their own racial
group. White Fragility provides important antiracist understanding and essential
strategies for well-intentioned white people who truly endeavor to be a part of
the solution.”
—GLENN E. SINGLETON, author of Courageous Conversations About Race
“White fragility is the secret ingredient that makes racial conversations so
difficult and achieving racial equity even harder. But by exposing it and showing
us all—including white folks—how it operates and how it hurts us, individually
and collectively, Robin DiAngelo has performed an invaluable service. An
indispensable volume for understanding one of the most important (and yet
rarely appreciated) barriers to achieving racial justice.”
—TIM WISE,
author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son
“In White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo demonstrates an all-too-rare ability to enter
the racial conversation with complexity, nuance, and deep respect. Her writing
establishes her mastery in accessing the imaginal, metaphoric mind, where the
possibility for transformation resides. With an unwavering conviction that
change is possible, her message is clear: the incentive for white engagement in
racial justice work is ultimately self-liberation.”
—LETICIA NIETO,
coauthor of Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment: A Developmental Strategy
to Liberate Everyone