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

White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while at the same time lowering the ability to tolerate racial stress. Although white racial insulation is somewhat mediated by social class (with poor and working class urban whites being generally less racially insulated than suburban or rural whites), the larger social environment insulates and protects whites as a group through institutions, cultural representations, media, school textbooks, movies, advertising, and dominant discourses. Racial stress results from an interruption to what is racially familiar. In turn, whites are often at a loss for how to respond in constructive ways., as we have not had to build the cognitive or affective skills or develop the stamina that that would allow for constructive engagement across racial divides. leading to what I refer to as White Fragility. White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium. This book explicates the dynamics of White Fragility and how we might build our capacity in the on-going work towards racial justice. ([source][1]) [1]: https://robindiangelo.com/publications/ 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 Exploration, Diangelo Explores How White Fragility Develops, How It Protects Racial Inequality, And What We Can Do To Engage More Constructively. -- Introduction: We Can't Get There From Here -- The Challenges Of Talking To White People About Racism -- Racism And White Supremacy -- Racism After The Civil Rights Movement -- How Does Race Shape The Lives Of White People? -- The Good/bad Binary -- Anti-blackness -- Racial Triggers For White People -- The Result: White Fragility -- White Fragility In Action -- White Fragility And The Rules Of Engagement -- White Women's Tears -- Where Do We Go From Here? Robin Diangelo. Includes Bibliographical References. The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality. In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine). 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. source: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/566247/white-fragility-by-robin-diangelo/ Groundbreaking book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when discussing racism that serve to protect their positions and maintain racial inequality Antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo first coined the term "white fragility" in 2011, and since then it's been invoked by critics from Samantha Bee to Charles Blow. "White fragility" refers to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially. These include emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors including argumentation and silence. In this book, DiAngelo unpacks white fragility, explaining the underlying sociological phenomena. She'll draw on examples from her work and scholarship, as well as from the culture at large, to address these fundamental questions: How does white fragility develop? What does it look like? How is it triggered? What can we do to move beyond white fragility and engage more constructively? Groundbreaking book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when discussing racism that serve to protect their positions and maintain racial inequality 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, anti-racist educator Robin DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what can be done to engage more constructively. "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 exploration, DiAngelo explores how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively."-- Back 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 "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, antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo explores how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively."--Provided by publisher Why is it so hard to talk to white people about racism? -- The process of racial socialization -- Understanding racism and white supremacy -- Racism post civil-rights -- How does race shape the lives of white people? -- The good/bad binary -- Anti-blackness -- Racial triggers for white people -- The result: White fragility -- White fragility in action -- White fragility and the rules of engagement -- White women's tears -- Where do we go from here?