Book Review: White Fragility: Why It's so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

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

Author: Robin DiAngelo

Brief description (from back of book):

“In this groundbreaking and timely book, antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth examination, DiAngelo explores how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.”

Important Ideas of the Book:

This book is very useful in beginning, as well as continuing, your “equity journey”, whether that journey is one you are undertaking as an individual or through a book club type discussion group. DiAngelo explains that the United States is a country of white privilege, that, whether you realize it or not, whether you may be “against” racism or not, white people in this country benefit from the racist policies in place.

DiAngelo has served as a professor of multicultural education and is now a lecturer, author and consultant/trainer on issues of racial justice. Throughout the book she shares her experiences in tackling the emotional structures that make it difficult to hold open, productive conversations about racial equity. She helps us see that racism is not a permanent state, nor is it restricted to “bad people”. Her shared stories clearly show that movement toward antiracism is an ongoing process that involves mis-steps, reflection, honest conversation and a focus on others.

Here are a few quotes from the book:

• “But my silence is not benign because it protects and maintains the racial hierarchy and my place within it.”  (Chapter 4)
• “The simplistic idea that racism is limited to individual intentional acts committed by unkind people is at the root of virtually all white defensiveness on this topic.” (Chapter 5)
• “In my workshops, I often ask people of color, ‘How often have you given white people feedback on our unaware yet inevitable racism? How often has that gone well for you?’ Eye-rolling, head-shaking, and outright laughter follow, along with the consensus of rarely, if ever. I then ask, ‘What would it be like if you could simply give us feedback, have us graciously receive it, reflect, and work to change the behavior?’ Recently a man of color sighed and said, “It would be revolutionary.’” (Chapter 8)

DiAngelo provides much to reflect upon. For example, in chapter 10 she writes “I repeat: stopping our racist patterns must be more important than working to convince others that we don’t have them. We do have them, and people of color already know we have them; our efforts to prove otherwise are not convincing.” As educators, we need to provide each of our students with what they need – a safe space in which to learn, expectations that they can learn and pursue their chosen career, and a true interest in their progress and their value as human beings.

Table of Contents:

Foreword by Michael Eric Dyson

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

Link to Discussion