White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
(Beacon Press, 2018)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo is only one book covering only one aspect of racism. One book, one day of antiracist education, one week, one month, one year are not going to be enough. But this book is a great place for White people to start, learn a little humility, and start building stamina for grappling with race and racism. I learned a lot while experienced many head-smack moments and moments of shame while reading this short, accessible, blunt, and necessary book:
- The difference between “prejudice,” “discrimination,” and “racism”.
- Why racism only flows in one direction (and “reverse racism” is nonsensical.)
- Why White people react the way they do when engaged about race.
- Why White progressive liberals are particularly ignorant of and damaging with their own racist behaviors.
- How racism has become more insidious since the 1960s, making “I marched in the 60s” meaningless when confronting today’s issues.
- Without diminishing the impact of racism on every person of color, how anti-blackness has been particularly vicious in the United States.
- How the United States has exported racism, making white supremacy a global oppressive phenomenon.
- How Western ideologies of individualism and objectivity perpetuate racism.
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