Paul Adams - Summary of White Fragility: Why Its So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

Summary

of

White Fragility

Robin DiAngelo

Conversation Starters

By Paul Adams

Book Habits

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Introducing White Fragility

R

obin DiAngelo authored the slim yet penetrating book White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. In this new book, she makes a very provocative statement: "I am white and addressing a common white dynamic. I am mainly writing to a white audience; when I use the terms us and we I am referring to the white collective." She beckons her fellow white people to their unjust marginalization. Her message is simple to her fellow white people: Your sensitivity is an obstacle to progress.

Robin DiAngelo introduces us to the phrase white fragility. She defines this phrase as a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves.

She described the varied reactions of many white people whom she meets in her trainings. Their offices sends them to these trainings and they show up defensive and they stay defensive. They push back against all exercises and ideas. They do not deny the existence of racism and its horrible effects however, they refuse to concede that they themselves might have racism in their lives.

She shares stories that in her trainings, most white participants were once challenged for their evasiveness by fellow workers who were not white. No matter the manner of response, these people claim that they were being attacked and were treated as white rather than a unique individual who they know they are. They would tune out, pout, nitpick and even blurt awkward jokes. DiAngelo says that one white woman left the training when she was challenged to reconsider a statement she said. The friends of this woman insisted that it almost triggered a heart attack for the lady.

The advice that DiAngelo has for her readers is fairly straightforward yet not that easy to act on. She advocates her fellow white people to abandon their ideas of racism as a matter of the individuals being moral or immoral, good or bad. She says that white people need to accept that they have unconscious investments in whiteness that they may not fully understand. They should seek out the perspectives of different people of color, seek to embrace the discomfort it may produce and avoid confusing discomfort with literal danger. They should intentionally start uncomfortable conversations with their friends and family. Breathing slowly will help. Perhaps the most important of all is remember that these things should be done not for the people of color, rather do it for ourselves. Do it in the spirit of honesty and truth. DiAngelo admonishes that if only white people would truly do what they need to do to shed their fragility, their interpersonal relationships will change and so will their institutions. The major obstacle is that people do not like the feeling of being uncomfortable.

DiAngelos book is unapologetically rooted in identity politics. Racial identity is assigned by people whose race is dominant in a certain community. For multiracial people, racial identity is further complicated by their parents racial identity and the racial demographics of the community where they were raised. The term passing also has its dynamics as being perceived as white. This also shapes the identity of a multiracial person. This passing will grant him or her the rewards given by the society for whiteness. However, people who are born with mixed racial heritage may pass as white but will also experience a feeling of isolation and resentment from the people who cannot pass. Multiracial people may not ever be seen as real people of any color.

World Trust President Shakti Butler says that she find[s] 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. My Grandmothers Hands and Rock the Boat author Resmaa Menakem says that White Fragility loosens the bonds of white supremacy and binds us back together as human beings. Courageous Conversations About Race author Glenn E. Singleton says that DiAngelo invites white progressives to have a courageous conversation about their culture of complicity. Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment author Leticia Nieto says that DiAngelo demonstrates an all-too-rare ability to enter the racial conversation with complexity, nuance, and deep respect. Publishers Weekly says that this book is thoughtful, instructive, and comprehensive... impressive in its scope and complexity. Shelf Awareness says that the book White Fragility should be read by everyone and most who read this book will be inspired to search themselves and interrupt their contributions to racism.