White Fragility: Why it is so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

170 Pages·2018·2.434 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