What IS white fragility and IS it a real thing?

 A lot of resistance nowadays to the notion of white fragility, particularly but not exclusively, by those on the Right.

BUT......... what is it ?

Some thoughts on that:

What Is White Fragility?

White fragility refers to a broad range of responses—often in the form of guilt, excuses, dismissal, or anger—white people may have in reaction to discussions on racism. The term "white fragility" was popularized by sociologist and author Robin DiAngelo in her book, "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism."

In her book, DiAngelo focuses on white fragility as a response to racism against Black people.

What Does White Fragility Look Like?

Robin DiAngelo's concept of white fragility came from her experiences as a diversity trainer at various workplaces. She noted  "familiar patterns" in many of the white employees’ responses when racism was brought up in group discussions.

For instance, if DiAngelo started talking about white privilege, white members of her training groups often displayed similar reactions to one another including dismissiveness, anger, resentment, or defensiveness.

There are a variety of common ideas they expressed:

  • "I have a Black friend/family member, so I'm not racist."
  • "Racism ended with slavery."
  • "I've struggled in my life, so I'm not privileged."
  • "I am colorblind, so I'm not racist."1

From the social media account of the former president of CrossFit to the Central Park birdwatching incident, we've seen white people perform racist actions—yet when some are called out, they recite the scripted line that DiAngelo heard from her students: “I’m not racist.”

“Rather than respond with gratitude and relief (after all, now that we are informed, we won't do it again), we often respond with anger and denial,” DiAngelo notes in her book.

More: https://www.verywellmind.com/white-fragility-4847115

White people in the United States have protection from racial stress. Engaging in conversations about racism may trigger a range of defensive actions, feelings, and behaviors, such as anger, fear, and silence.

Although white fragility is not racism, it may contribute to racism by dismissing white domination and racial conditioning. By developing racial stamina, white people can better address racism and strive to become anti-racist.

Racial stressors may cause a range of defensive behaviors and emotions. White people may act in certain ways when people of color discuss racism.

Their reactions may include:

  • anger
  • fear
  • guilt
  • arguing
  • silence
  • leaving the stress-inducing situation

By behaving in this way, white people may prevent people of color from attempting to talk about racism with them.

More: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/white-fragility-definition#triggers



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