Taking another look at racism

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism ~ by Robin DiAngelo, 2018, social studies

Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to "bad people."  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 exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.

I'm discussing this, chapter by chapter, over a 6-week period with a group of about 30 people from the community.  Tonight, we'll take a look at chapters 2 and 3.

Chapter 2 ~ Racism and White Supremacy
Chapter 3 ~ Racism After the Civil Rights Movement