The History Book Club discussion
FREE READ (Only at the HBC)
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WHITE FRAGILITY: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - FREE READ (ONLY AT THE HBC) - READ AND LEAD - Leisurely Read
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by Robin DiAngelo (no photo)Synopsis:
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.
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.
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Hopefully, in time we will have folks step up to the plate and who want to read a poll selected book and the person who nominated the book just gets to read and post about the book they are reading and make comments as they go through the book. There are no spoiler threads and nothing else to it.
It is like the book discussions that you find in most other groups. These are not the History Book Club Buddy Reads, Spotlighted Reads or Book of the Month nor our Presidential Read Series - those all have structure to them. The HBC is making it easy for those folks so they have a spot too.
But we feel that sometimes folks want to read something of their own choosing so we have the polls for the Free Reads and nominations.
You must follow our rules and guidelines for civility and respect and of course - no self promotion and citations are required for any other book or author different from the selection itself.
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I would love to have some company as we post randomly how we feel about the book
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By Sandee LaMotte
Link to video and article: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/07/health...
Source: CNN
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I will be listening to this book and I hope you will post that you will be "listening or reading it" too.
Just came across this article in the Washington Post:
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...
Source: The Washington Post
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Written by Özlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo
Before You Begin: Suggestions for Discussion
This reading guide is intended to support formal and informal group discussions of White Fragility. We offer the following pedagogical tips as you organize your discussion.
On size:
Small group discussions work best when the size of the group is large enough to advance discussion but not so large that any member of the group can avoid sharing or, conversely, wants to share, but cannot find airtime to do so. For this reason, it is recommended that groups target a size of five to seven members. If you are part of a larger study group, just organize yourselves into smaller sub groups of approximately five people.
Note - our response: We are a virtual book group - everybody can join in on this thread and in this discussion - everybody will be heard who wants to join in. Read and discuss at your own pace and post and discuss as you go along.
On composition:
There can be strategic advantages to organizing yourself into what are sometimes called affinity groups, wherein people with a shared identity (such as cis-men, or Asian women, or Indigenous people) work through issues particular to them, in a closed group. If your group is diverse, discuss how you want to organize yourselves (in a mixed group or an affinity group for all or part of various chapter discussions).
Note - our response: We are a virtual reading group so we cannot do the above but everybody is invited to join in on the free read and participate and post as often as you like. This is a mixed group free read obviously.
On monitoring the group:
If you are self-monitoring your group, discuss how you will assign a facilitator for each session. This can be a rotating responsibility if you plan to meet over multiple sessions. The task of the facilitator will include keeping the discussion on topic, ensuring shared airtime, and note-taking (if part of a formal discussion group), as well as ensuring that the group’s time is monitored.
Note - our response: We are a virtual reading group so we cannot do the above but everybody is invited to join in on the free read and participate and post as often as you like. Since I am the group leader I will always respond and maintain civil and respectful order but everyone is invited to participate and read/discuss the book at their own pace.
On facilitating:
Tips for facilitators of white discussion groups
Based on the following patterns, it is highly recommended that a facilitator or team of facilitators be assigned when primarily white groups discuss racism. Facilitators should think of themselves as guides rather than as teachers. This means the overall task of the facilitator is to keep the group focused and on track, with equitable sharing of the airtime. This will be easier to do if at the start of the discussion you tell the group that this is your task. You could even name the patterns ahead of time and ask group members to watch out for these themselves.
Note - our response: We are a virtual reading group so we cannot do the above; but everybody is invited to join in on the free read and participate and post as often as you like. We are here to discuss and post what we think about the book itself, the positions it takes and any other ideas, themes or discussions about current and important topics on racism. Since the threads are open 2x7, one can post at any time and when I am on I will respond or other members who are reading and discussing this book with you on this thread might respond to you.
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Doctor Robin DiAngelo
Robin DiAngelo is an academic, lecturer, and author of White Fragility.
She has been a consultant and trainer on issues of racial and social justice for more than twenty years.
She formerly served as a tenured professor of multicultural education at Westfield State University.
by Robin DiAngelo (no photo)Özlem Sensoy is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University in Canada.
Doctor Özlem Sensoy
She is the co-author (with Robin DiAngelo) of the award–winning book, Is Everyone Really Equal?: An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education (Teachers College Press)
by Özlem Sensoy (no photo)More:
http://www.sfu.ca/education/faculty-p...
https://robindiangelo.com/about-me/
What Is the Answer to Overcoming Racism in America
Link to article: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life...
The Power of the System
Link to article and podcast: https://modernlearners.com/76-the-pow...
The Proliferation of Lies: Misinformation spreads like wildfire online before it can be contained
Link to article and podcast: http://memphismirror.com/the-prolifer...
How Do We Ready Kids for the Next Generation of Fake News?
Link to article: https://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2017/08...
Link to Video: Real-time Face Capture and Reenactment of RGB Videos
Link to Video: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/...
Link to Mediasmarts for Teachers: https://mediasmarts.ca/get-involved/m...
Connecting and Being Connected: Muslim Style
Link to article: http://thelasource.com/en/2015/11/02/...
Streetzfm radio interview: Schlock Proof Yourself
Link to podcast: http://www.sfu.ca/~ozlem/ozlem/Blog/E...
Link to article: https://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2011/06...
“Yeah, but I’m Shy!”: Classroom Participation as
a Social Justice Issue
Link to article:https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
by
Elizabeth A. Marshall
by Robin DiAngelo (no photo)(no image) Muslim Voices in School: Narratives of Identity and Pluralism by Zlem Sensoy (no photo)
by Justin A. McCarthy (no photo)Sources: Youtube, Radiolab, Mediacheck, The Memphis Mirror, Modern Learners, Simon Frazier University, WNYC Studios, Media Smarts, The Source, Streetzfm Radio, The Tyee, Good Housekeeping,
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“We Are All for Diversity, but . . .”: How Faculty Hiring Committees Reproduce Whiteness and Practical Suggestions for How They Can Change
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
Calling In: Strategies for Cultivating Humility and Critical Thinking in Antiracism Education by Robin DiAngelo and Özlem Sensoy Westfield State University and Simon Fraser University
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
Respect Differences? Challenging the Common Guidelines in Social Justice Education by Özlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
Getting slammed: White depictions of race discussions as arenas of violence by Robin DiAngelo and Özlem Sensoy
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
Nothing to add: A Challenge to White Silence in Racial Discussions by Robin DiAngelo - Volume II, Issue I - February 2012
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
Addressing Whiteness in Nursing Education - The Sociopolitical Climate Project at the University of Washington School of Nursing
by Carole Schroeder, PhD, RN; Robin DiAngelo, PhD
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
Showing What We Tell: Facilitating Antiracist Education in Cross-Racial Teams by Robin DiAngelo - Westfield State College and
Darlene Flynn - Seattle Office for Civil Rights
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
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Why Can’t We All Just Be Individuals?: Countering the Discourse of Individualism in Anti-racist Education
Link to article: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5fm4...
“We don’t want your opinion”: Knowledge Construction and the Discourse of Opinion in the Equity Classroom
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
The Production of Whiteness in Education: Asian International Students in a College Classroom by Robin J. Diangelo - University of Washington
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
My class didn’t trump my race: Using oppression to face privilege
Link to article: https://robindiangelo.com/wp-content/...
“I wouldn’t want to be a woman in the Middle East”:
White female student teachers and the narrative of the oppressed Muslim woman
Link to article: http://radicalpedagogy.icaap.org/cont...
“My Feelings Are Not About You”: Personal Experience as a Move of Whiteness
Link to article: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6dk6...
Media:
Link to all listed media links: https://robindiangelo.com/media/
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Link to Resources: https://robindiangelo.com/resources/ (substantial number)
Workshops
Link to Workshop dates and locations: https://www.educationforracialequity....
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Everything you need to know about white fragility in Medical News
Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti...
SPECIAL SERIES - America Reckons With Racial Injustice
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NATIONWIDE PROTESTS - NPR
Link: https://www.npr.org/series/868567696/...
Link: with 8 minute listen - 'There Is No Neutral': 'Nice White People' Can Still Be Complicit In A Racist Society - https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/873375...
White fragility is something white people must grow out of if we’re to solve racism in America
Link:https://www.dallasnews.com/news/watch...
Anti-racist book dethrones 'Hunger Games' prequel on best-seller list amid mass protests
Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entert...
The Limitations Of An Anti-Racist Reading List
Link with a 14 minute listen: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/872788...
What Is an Anti-Racist Reading List For?
Link: https://www.vulture.com/2020/06/anti-...
Anti-racist book sales surge in US and Britain after George Floyd killing - Books by authors including Reni Eddo-Lodge, Ibram X Kendi and Robin DiAngelo are selling out on both sides of the Atlantic
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
Robin DiAngelo: How 'white fragility' supports racism and how whites can stop it
Link to CNN video and article: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/07/health...
Dear white people, please read ‘White Fragility’
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...
Books about race and racism are dominating bestseller lists
Link to article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
First, Listen. Then, Learn: Anti-Racism Resources For White People
Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliawue...
by Ibram X. Kendi (no photo)
by Ibram X. Kendi (no photo)
by
Michelle Alexander
by
Lauren Michele JacksonSources: Medical News Today, NPR, The Dallas Morning News, USA Today, Vulture, CNN, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Forbes
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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.
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“The value in White Fragility lies in its methodical, irrefutable exposure of racism in thought and action, and its call for humility and vigilance.”
—The New Yorker
“[T]houghtful, instructive, and comprehensive . . . This slim book is impressive in its scope and complexity; DiAngelo provides a powerful lens for examining, and practical tools for grappling with, racism today.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“White Fragility is a book everyone should be exposed to. With any luck, most who are will be inspired to search themselves and interrupt their contributions to racism.”
—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
“A valuable guide . . . While especially helpful for those new to the critical analysis of whiteness, this work also offers a useful refresher to anyone committed to the ongoing process of self-assessment and anti-oppression work.”
—Library Journal
“A penetrating new book.”
—Pacific Standard
“A vital, necessary, and beautiful book, a bracing call to white folk everywhere to see their whiteness for what it is and to seize the opportunity to make things better now.”
—Michael Eric Dyson
“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
“A rare and incisive examination of the system of white body supremacy that binds us all as Americans. . . . 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
“As powerful forces of white racism again swell, DiAngelo invites white progressives to have a courageous conversation about their culture of complicity. . . . 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
“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
“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
“Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility brings language to the emotional structures that make true discussions about racial attitudes difficult. With clarity and compassion, DiAngelo allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people.’ In doing so, she moves our national discussions forward with new ‘rules of engagement.’ This is a necessary book for all people invested in societal change through productive social and intimate relationships.”
—Claudia Rankine
“White Fragility is a must-read for all educators because racism and racial disparities in access and opportunity continue to be an urgent issue in our schools. As educators, we need to summon up the courage and together act deliberately and honestly to develop the skills we need to engage in conversations about bias, race, and racism—especially our own.”
—Val Brown, professional development facilitator and founder of #ClearTheAir
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Foreword by Michael Eric Dyson
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
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Common Patterns
1. Distancing: Identifiable via expressions including “People should just ____,” “Society is _____,” “How do I tell my coworker _____,” “What about all the people who aren’t here today who should be _____,” “The executive team at my workplace _____,” and “My family member _____”
Response techniques: “Can you speak to how you see this in your own behaviors/thoughts/beliefs in life/work?” “What part do you see yourself playing?” “What might you do…?” “How is the most effective way for someone to talk with you about your racism?”
Note: Our response on this thread is to post what you feel comfortable posting - the authors are expecting or hoping that you will speak to your own thoughts/beliefs in life and work and make it personal to you. Post as you can and as often as you can when you are available to do so - this will be a safe and respectable environment; but just find your own independent comfort level and voice.
2. Checking out: Identifiable via behaviors including texting, working on laptop, engaging in side conversations.
Response techniques: At the start, ask participants to put phones/laptops away. Explain that effective discussion on racism often causes disequilibrium for those of us who are white and that technology functions as a way to check out. Further, when people of color are present, the distraction of technology sends a problematic message. Someone who has an emergency or is expecting a text or call should leave the room at that time. Regarding side conversations, the facilitator might say, “I am having trouble hearing. Please give your attention to the speaker.”
Note: Our response is that we are on the internet so this does not apply to the Free Read discussion.
3. Dominating the discussion: The same person or people speaking first, at length, immediately, and/or several times while others sit back in silence.
Response techniques: “Who haven’t we heard from?” “Let’s wait a little longer to make space for people who need more time.” “I’m going to ask that if we have spoken twice already, we wait until everyone else has had a chance before we speak again.” “Let’s go around the table and check in.” “Does anyone else want to share their perspective?” “We all have a responsibility to share our thoughts so others in the group know where we’re coming from or what we’re struggling with.”
Note: In a virtual book group we will not be going around the room. We hope you will join in, and post as you can.
4. Positioning themselves as already getting this/Giving evidence for why this discussion doesn’t apply to them: “I already know all this.” “I come from ___ and I can’t believe how white it is here.” “I realized many years ago that___.” “I am married to/have children who are ___,” followed by distancing (rather than insight and recognition that this doesn’t exempt them and their learning is not finished).
Response techniques: “The book poses an important question, ‘How do we know how well we are doing?’ “Where do you see your current learning edge?” “DiAngelo states that nothing exempts us from the forces of racism. How are situations that are unique to us still informed by racism?” “How does being white shape one’s sense that they are ‘beyond’ this discussion?” “Can you name three actions in the last month that demonstrate your awareness in practice?”
Note: We think the above questions are good discussion topics that the folks doing the free read might think about and post about.
5. Hopelessness: “Racism is never going to end.” “I can’t do anything.” “What are we supposed to do?” “This is just about making us feel guilty.” “We have been doing this for years now and nothing changes.” “The administration are the ones that need this and they just don’t care.”
Response techniques: “The author speaks to the question of guilt. What points does she make?” “If we apply the question the author asks, How does our discouragement function? how would we answer?” “What concrete actions have you attempted thus far? What books have you read? What antiracism networks have you joined? The perception that nothing can be done often keeps the existing system in place.”
Note: We think that we have all heard these arguments that the author puts forth. I think that some of the questions here are ones that we might want to discuss.
6. Expecting people of color to teach us (white people) about race: Turning to people of color for answers or to go first: “I grew up in a sheltered environment, so I don’t know anything about race.” “Sharon, tell me about the racism you have experienced.” “Sharon, you go first.”
Response techniques: If you are in a multiracial reading group, don’t assume that the people of color will speak first. If uncertain, ask them what they prefer. “While those of us who are white need to listen to people of color, in this context let’s take some risks and go first.” “People of color and Indigenous people have spent a lot of time thinking and speaking out about white supremacy and against racism. This is the time for white people to step up to the conversation.” “Mainstream society often has us focus on the targets of oppression rather than the agents. In this setting, focusing on people of color can let white people off the hook for naming their participation in racist systems.” “How have you managed thus far not to know the answers to your questions on racism?”
Note: Probably the last question may be one that we might want to entertain while reading and discussing this book. We have an open group for any free read so our global reading group will be mixed.
7. Claiming this discussion doesn’t apply to them because they are not from the US: “I’m from Germany and we don’t have these issues there.” “Canada is a multicultural society.” “It’s completely different where I am from because everyone is the same.”
Response techniques: “At what age were you aware that black people existed? Where did they live? If in Africa, what were your impressions of Africa? Where did you get your information about Africa?” “Did you watch Hollywood movies? If so, what impressions did you get about African Americans from US movies? What about Disney movies and cartoons?” “What was your relationship to Asian heritage people? What were Asian people like, in your mind?” and so on.
Note: Some of these questions any global member can post about and we encourage you to answer or talk about any of them.
Countering Common Patterns via Silence Breakers
These sentence starters, termed “silence breakers,” are suggested openings intended to address two common challenges for white people in cross-racial discussions: First, the fear of losing face, making a mistake, or not being able to manage impressions that often prevent white people from authentic engagement. Second, the lack of humility we often have when discussing racism. The silence breakers can help engender a stance of curiosity and humility that counters the certitude many white people have regarding our racial perspectives. In doing so, they tend to open, rather than close, discussion and connection.
Note: There are no right or wrong answers here when it comes to your feelings. Only you know what you feel. Just be as authentic as you can and everyone's comments are appreciated.
Silence Breakers
1. I’m really nervous/scared/uncomfortable saying this and/but …
2. From my experience/perspective as [identity] …
3. I’m afraid I may offend someone, and please let know if I do, but …
4. I’m not sure if this will make any sense, and/but …
5. I just felt something shift in the room. I’m wondering if anyone else did.
6. It seems as though some people may have had a reaction to that. Can you help me understand why?
7. Can you help me understand whether what I’m thinking right now might be problematic?
8. This is what I understand you to be saying: ____ Is that accurate?
9. I’m having a “yeah but.” Can you help me work through it?
10. I’m engaged but just needing time to process this. What I am working on processing is _____.
Note: The authors are giving optional ways to begin your dialogue or post - as far as we are concerned it is all up to you and what you feel comfortable with.
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As DiAngelo notes, white people addressing white fragility surfaces several dilemmas. First, it requires that white people be centered in the conversation about racism. This can be problematic because it reinforces the white centering that is taken for granted in society at large (it is the author’s hope, however, that it is a centering that exposes, rather than protects, the workings of white supremacy). Second, it positions white people—yet again—as the experts. Based on these dilemmas, the following points are important to keep in mind:
1. This book and its arguments build on antiracism scholarship and activism that people of color have written for generations. That scholarship has been fundamental to the ability of the author to explicate white fragility. Use this text as the starting point—rather than the ending point—to educate yourself on racism. There are many suggestions for engaging with the work of people of color in the Resources for Continuing Education section of this book.
2. The primary goal for white people working to understand racism is not to learn how racism impacts people of color. The primary goal is to recognize how the system of racism shapes our lives, how we uphold that system, and how we might interrupt it.
3. For people of color, multiracial, and Indigenous peoples who are part of an informal or formal discussion group, the book and this guide will hopefully validate your lived experiences and offer some helpful insight into the challenges of trying to talk to white people about racism. Like the book, this guide is primarily focused on raising the consciousness and increasing the cross-racial skills of white people. In so doing, many of the questions will be specific to them. Yet while the work of this text is primarily focused on the role that white people play within the system of racism, people of color are exposed to the same messages and must also consider how those messages have impacted them and the resultant role they may play. This dynamic is colloquially described as “assimilation” (or “acting white”) and is described in scholarship as “collusion.” These terms refer to people of color upholding values and behaviors that negatively impact their own and other groups of color and ultimately support white supremacy. There are many pressures to collude, the foremost of which is that there are rewards for conformity with the system. If we behave in ways that the dominant group finds favorable, we will likely receive benefits (or at least minimize penalties) in our daily interactions with them. As you study the dynamic of white fragility, consider your role and responsibilities in relation to collusion and adapt questions accordingly and as needed.
Note for those using this guide outside of the US context
The dynamics of white fragility are familiar in all societies in which white people hold institutional power and/or have a white settler colonial history, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and South Africa. While the book focuses on the specific sociopolitical context of the US, it is for you to reflect on how these dynamics manifest in your specific sociopolitical context.
For all readers
The chapter questions are intended to deepen your reflection and understanding of the chapters and constructively inform your response to white fragility.
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Keep the following principles in mind. You may need to return to them on occasion, so consider posting them in the room or having them available on cards:
1. A strong opinion is not the same as informed knowledge.
2. There is a difference between agreement and understanding. When discussing complex social and institutional dynamics such as racism, consider whether “I don’t agree” may actually mean “I don’t understand.”
3. We have a deep interest in denying the forms of oppression that benefit us. We may also have an interest in denying forms of oppression that harm us. For example, people of color can deny the existence of racism and even support its structures. This denial may keep them from feeling overwhelmed by the daily slights or protect them from the penalties of confronting white people on racism. However, regardless of the reason, this denial still benefits whites at the group level, not people of color.
4. Racism goes beyond individual intentions to collective group patterns.
5. We don’t have to be aware of racism in order for it to exist.
6. Our racial position (whether we identify as white, a person of color, or multiracial) will greatly affect our ability to see racism. For example, if we swim against the “current” of racial privilege, it’s often easier to recognize, while it’s harder to recognize if we swim with the current.
7. Putting our effort into protecting rather than expanding our current worldview prevents our intellectual and emotional growth.
Before you begin discussing chapter by chapter, spend some time reviewing the guidelines above.
[1] Adapted from Anika Nailah and Robin DiAngelo
[2] Excerpted from Robin DiAngelo and Ozlem Sensoy, “Calling In: Strategies for Cultivating Humility and Critical Thinking in Antiracism Education,” Understanding & Dismantling Privilege 4, no. 2, (2014), http://www.wpcjournal.com/article/vie...
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Feel free to post on this thread any time as you read - just refer to the chapter you are talking about.
Questions and Topics for Discussion
1. Chapter 1: The Challenges of Talking to White People About Racism
1. Identify a passage from chapter 1 that invokes any sense of discomfort. Highlight this passage and return to reading it periodically as you work through the book. What does this passage reveal about your socialization into the white racial frame? Does your discomfort shift over time? If so, what supported that shift?
2. If you are working through these questions as part of a white discussion group, how will you keep the discussion on track (focused on ourselves and our own participation)? How will you ensure that when common white patterns surface (distancing, intellectualizing, rationalizing), you will work to identify and challenge them rather than ignore or avoid them?
3. How do so many white people feel so confident in their opinions on racism, even as they live their lives in segregation?
4. How can we make generalizations about what it means to be white when we don’t know each person’s individual story?
5. What are some constructive ways to use your emotional reactions when your opinions on racism are challenged?
6. Explain in your own words the author’s critique of the ideology of individualism.
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WHY SHOULD EDUCATORS READ WHITE FRAGILITY?
White Fragility is a must-read for all educators because racial disparities in access and opportunity continue to be an urgent issue in our schools. An educator’s belief system can and does significantly impact how they approach teaching and learning.
Therefore, in a school system in which the teaching population remains primarily white and the student population continues to become more racially diverse, it is necessary for educators to develop the skills to engage in conversations about bias, race, and racism—especially their own.
Additionally, despite an educator’s best efforts, it is impossible to shield students from the hate-based violence they are exposed to on a national level. A report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, found that the rhetoric used by Donald Trump and his supporters, before and during the presidential campaign, had a significant impact on school climate.
Teachers reported an increase in verbal harassment of students,
the use of slurs and derogatory language, and instances involving swastikas, Nazi salutes, and Confederate flags. Eight in ten teachers reported heightened anxiety from students in marginalized groups, including immigrants, Muslims, African Americans, and LGBTQ youth. Each month, Teaching Tolerance, a project of SPLC, tracks and publishes hate incidents at US schools. The latest report, from November 2018, found that there were 59 reported incidents in classrooms, at school events, and on social media. Regrettably, students are living with hate in their midst at school, too, and it is imperative that educators take action.
Finally, there is only one reason to engage in emotionally fraught conversations about racism, and that is to end it. As educators, we need to summon up the courage and together act deliberately and honestly to address what remains to be our greatest national and educational challenge.
Source: Discussion Guide for Educators by Valerie Brown
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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
This study guide is designed to be used independently, as well as in small or larger groups by educators. Each section includes an optional pre-reading prompt that can be completed before reading the chapter, as well as a chapter summary, key concepts, and questions. Facilitators are encouraged to use discussion
protocols to ensure equitable participation in group discussions.
Though the author notes that the primary audience for White Fragility is white people, this guide may be used by those of all racial identities.
Reflection questions for facilitators before convening the group
1. In which situations would you be least or most comfortable?
2. Given that addressing racism necessarily invokes discomfort, how will you build your stamina? Do you have a community or support group to turn to?
3. How will your social identities impact the discussion?
4. What may be triggers for you and how would you manage it?
5. How well do you handle conflict?
6. What are the interests and motivations of your participants?
7. What is the relationship between participants?
8. What is the purpose for convening this group of people?
9. What does the group want to accomplish as a result of reading this text?
10. How will the questions be answered? What other protocols can you use to ensure equity of voice?
11. How much time are you allotting for each conversation?
12. Is the physical space conducive to the environment you wish to create?
13. How will you gather feedback from the participants throughout and at the conclusion of the discussion?
Sources used by authors for guide:
1 Buffington, M. L. “Fostering Dialogue in a Post-Racial Society.” Journal of Cultural Research in Art Education 33, no. 1 (2016), 12–26.
2 Adams, M., L. A. Bell, D. Goodman, and K. Joshi. Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2016.
3 Southern Poverty Law Center. “The Trump Effect: The Impact of the Presidential Election on Our Nation’s Schools.” 2016.
4 Dillard, C. “Hate at School: November 2018,” Teaching Tolerance, https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/ha....
Source: Discussion Guide for Educators by Valerie Brown
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I have also added all of the questions for discussion for Chapter One in both the readers guide and the teachers guide. I will rearrange the questions again and repost them when we begin the discussion. But all of the background information has been added for everyone's information and interest.
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Hopefully, in time we will have folks step up to the plate and who want to read a poll selected book and the person who nominated the book just gets to read and post about the book they are reading and make comments as they go through the book. There are no spoiler threads and nothing else to it.
It is like the book discussions that you find in most other groups. These are not the History Book Club Buddy Reads, Spotlighted Reads or Book of the Month nor our Presidential Read Series - those all have structure to them. The HBC is making it easy for those folks so they have a spot too.
But we feel that sometimes folks want to read something of their own choosing so we have the polls for the Free Reads and nominations.
You must follow our rules and guidelines for civility and respect and of course - no self promotion and citations are required for any other book or author different from the selection itself.
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INTRODUCTION
Pre-Reading
Write about or discuss the following:
• What is your previous experience discussing race and racism?
• Why have you decided to read and discuss this book?
• What questions do you have prior to reading?
Chapter Overview and Summary
In the introduction, the author explains that North Americans live in a society that is deeply separate and unequal by race, that white people are socialized into a deeply internalized sense of racial superiority, and that conversations about race often challenge a white person’s sense of identity.
The author, focusing on white progressives, explains that the book will define “white fragility,” discuss how it develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what can be done to overcome it.
Key Concept(s)
• White fragility
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I think what happened to George Floyd was so egregious - it was like one would have had to be completely void of any heart whatsoever to not feel like you had been struck by a thunder bolt. It was savage seeing a life taken away.
Question that I have ahead of reading - trepidation I guess; the unknown.
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performed from babyhood, slip from the
conscious mind down deep into muscles…
and become difficult to tear out.
—Lillian Smith, Killers of the Dream (1949)
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Lillian E. Smith
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I am not sure why Dyson was chosen for this foreward because he seems angry, antagonistic and anti white. He certainly has an esteemed background, education and standing. But the tone for me was the opposite of what you are trying to achieve I would imagine. I think what is needed is to make friends versus foes. Get everyone on the same side. And I have no idea why Beyonce is mentioned in the title of this piece either and why the connection to the Witness Protection Program? Why is Beyonce always marched out. Huh?
The first paragraph is - "One metaphor for race, and racism, won't do. They are, after all, exceedingly complicated forces. No, we need many metaphors, working in concert, even if in different areas of the culture through a clever division of linguistic labor. Race is a condition. A disease. A card. A plague. Original sin. For much of American history, race has been black culture's issue; racism, a black person's burden. Or substitute any person of color for black and you've got the same problem. Whiteness, however, has remained constant. In the question of race, another metaphor for race beckons: whiteness is the unchanging variable. Or to shift metaphors, whiteness has been, to pinch Amiri Baraka's resonant phrase, the "changing same," a highly adaptable and fluid force that stays on top no matter where it lands. In a sense, whiteness is at once the means of dominance, the end to which dominance points, and the point of dominance, too, which, in its purest form, in its greatest fantasy, never ends.
I am trying to figure out is Dyson trying to make me feel embarrassed to be white. I don't personally feel that way. Nor should anybody feel the weight of their race either. Dyson has a payback time tone. I can understand that he thinks that white folk should "seize the opportunity to make things better now" and I think that there is great empathy right now and outrage over George Floyd's death and everyone wants to help. But the Beyonce metaphor is a bit much I think.
Dyson feels that white folks need to mature and face the world they've made while seeking to help remake it for those who have neither their privilege nor their protection.
You know many folks have worked hard for their families and did not have privilege and did not have protection either.
One thing I got out of the foreward was the definition of white fragility.
He says that it is an idea that registers the hurt feelings, shattered egos, fraught spirits, vexed bodies and taxed emotions of white folk. Their suffering comes from recognizing that they are white - that their whiteness has given them a big leg up in life while crushing other's dreams, that their whiteness is the clearest example of the identity politics they claim is harmful to the nation, and that their whiteness has shielded them from growing up as quickly as they might have done had they not so heavily leaned on it to make it through life. Wow! I think many of us have grown up and we did not lean on our whiteness! Taunting words really.
He also claims that "no less an authority than Beyonce Knowles recently remarked" - I do not get Beyonce as being an authority! Period. I do not think this was the best choice for the foreward - JMHO.
Dyson said this on the 9th - "My comments on the current crisis we are confronting. We are at a true crossroads in the culture, and it will take everything, and everyone, to participate! Now is the time for folk of goodwill to resist and unite and to make this nation better for all!
I think the above is very true but I think conciliatory words are needed too. I think that everyone including white people want to see changes in the police departments, etc. and they do want to make the nation better for "everyone".
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Doctor Michael Eric Dyson is a Georgetown University sociology professor, a New York Times contributing opinion writer, and a contributing editor of The New Republic, and of ESPN's The Undefeated website.
More:
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Michael Eric DysonAccording to Men's Journal - The latest from professor, Baptist minister, and author Dyson (Come Hell or High Water) is a sermon and a call for a national reckoning in the face of centuries of anti-black racism, which is often downplayed or outright ignored by white Americans. Stephen King calls the book “a major achievement. I read it and said amen.”
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Michael Eric DysonMichael Eric Dyson on Race in America on C-Span:
Link to Video: https://www.c-span.org/video/?447315-...
Note: He talks about what he considers white privilege that they have at least the right to compete for that job or for that opportunity; he feels that people of color do not have that same opportunity.
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson Discusses Civil Unrest Across America with James Corden
Link to Video and article: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/d... - Corden calls the Tears we cannot stop a sermon to white America. - 13 minute video
Dyson: White People Need to Confront Truths About Racism - on Amanpour & Co. - PBS
Link to news report: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-...
Note: This news presentation was more balanced - Dyson talks about "bridges", social injustice, etc. Although he appears to be for defunding the police - which I do not support - but reforming police practices and making the chokehold illegal and many other proactive reforms are long overdue.
But the police have a very dangerous job and there are many good policemen in this country who have performed with valor under some very dangerous circumstances. Avoiding extremes during these times is paramount but it is sooner said than done. 2020 has been a very disruptive year.
One thing that Dyson did note with approval was Governor Cuomo in New York passing a police reform bill that is long overdue. It appears that Dyson is against qualified immunity where the people living in some locales cannot sue the police.
Many towns would be bankrupt; if that was done away with - since we live in such litigious times. Dyson says that a good honest policeman like the one shown in the video - just doesn't get that just because it is not happening to him or around him doesn't mean that bad things are not happening to others.
The newscaster asked "don't you think that the phrasing defunding the police ends up playing into the hands of the right which already are making this a political issue and election issue?" It's sort of a lazy dichotomy says the newscaster. The newscaster said that "it sets up these lazy dichotomies; for example - you are either with us or you are with the terrorists; or that you are either with the cops or the looters but there is in fact a huge amount of people in between".
In Camden, NJ which is probably one of the most dangerous places in the US, somehow they decided that defunding their police was a good idea according to Dyson - however an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer gives a more complete and robust description. I will add that at the bottom.
Camden disbanded its police department and built a new one. Can others learn from it?
Link to article: https://www.inquirer.com/news/camden-...
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You probably remember him or heard of him as LeRoi Jones
Amiri Baraka (born Everett LeRoi Jones; October 7, 1934 – January 9, 2014), previously known as LeRoi Jones and Imamu Amear Baraka, was an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays and music criticism.
He was the author of numerous books of poetry and taught at several universities, including the State University of New York at Buffalo and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He received the PEN/Beyond Margins Award in 2008 for Tales of the Out and the Gone.
Baraka's career spanned nearly 50 years, and his themes range from black liberation to white racism. Some poems that are always associated with him are "The Music: Reflection on Jazz and Blues", "The Book of Monk", and "New Music, New Poetry", works that draw on topics from the worlds of society, music, and literature.
Baraka's poetry and writing have attracted both high praise and condemnation.
In the African-American community, some compare Baraka to James Baldwin and recognize him as one of the most respected and most widely published black writers of his generation.
Others have said his work is an expression of violence, misogyny, and homophobia.
Regardless of one's viewpoint, Baraka's plays, poetry, and essays have been defining texts for African-American culture.
Baraka's brief tenure as Poet Laureate of New Jersey (2002–2003) involved controversy over a public reading of his poem "Somebody Blew Up America?", which resulted in accusations of anti-Semitism and negative attention from critics and politicians
Remainder of article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiri_B...
Very controversial - Amiri Baraka "Somebody Blew Up America"
Link: ***Warning Alert**** - objectionable - but Baraka is known for this poem - https://youtu.be/KUEu-pG1HWw
"Somebody Blew Up America" by Amiri Baraka with Rob Brown-saxophone, recorded live on February 21, 2009 at The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy NY. Written in reaction to 9/11.
Amiri Baraka "Obama Poem"
Link: https://youtu.be/QPK9eH4EFTU
"Obama Poem" by Amiri Baraka with Rob Brown-saxophone, recorded live on February 21, 2009 at The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy NY.
The poet icon and political activist Amiri Baraka performs with Rob Brown, an eloquent and versatile saxophonist with a deep knowledge of jazz, in a reading from his book "Somebody Blew Up America & Other Poems." This production is part of "Free Jazz at the Sanctuary," a 13-part series of performance videos featuring some of the world's most talented improvisers.
Note: He is extremely talented though. Very unusual poetry, evocative and powerful intent upon getting a reaction.
A short excerpt from Amiri Baraka's poetry was selected to be used for a permanent installation by artist Larry Kirkland in New York City's Pennsylvania Station.
I have seen many suns
use
the endless succession of hours
piled upon each other
Carved in marble, this installation features excerpts from the works of several New Jersey poets (from Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams, to contemporary poets Robert Pinsky and Renée Ashley) and was part of the renovation and reconstruction of the New Jersey Transit section of the station completed in 2002.
More:
Amiri Baraka "The Way of Things (In Town)"
Link: https://youtu.be/pKcPlbVHdy0
Amiri Baraka: The Power of the Word
Link: https://youtu.be/c1-2S7baPUU
Amiri Baraka- Interview with Gil Noble, early 2000s (good interview with Baraka)
Link: https://youtu.be/JWWM6BxNQgQ
Obituary
Link: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/ob...
Amiri Baraka on his poetry and breaking rules
Link: https://youtu.be/SHG60P2ECNk
Amiri Baraka On Art & Politics at Binghamton University (humorous in parts - conspiracy theories in other parts; very much into socialistic ideas - self proclaimed)
Link: https://youtu.be/mn6VzakVgb8
Source: Wikipedia, PBS, Youtube, The Independent
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Also, at any time you can start reading this book and join me or start after I do. Your schedule of reading is up to you. You can discuss what I have posted and express your own viewpoints or simply post your own specific views. Free Reads are very open experiences.
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Identity Politics
Meaning of the term (author): The term identity politics refers to the focus on the barriers specific groups face in their struggle for equality. We have yet to achieve our founding principle, but any gains we have made thus far have come through identity politics.
The author begins the Note with the following:
"The United States was founded on the principle that all people are created equal. Yet the nation began with the attempted genocide of Indigenous people and the theft of their land. American wealth was built on the labor of kidnapped and enslaved Africans and their descendants. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920, and black women were denied access to that right until 1965. The term identity politics refers to the focus on the barriers specific groups face in their struggle for equality. We have yet to achieve our founding principle, but any gains we have made thus far have come through identity politics."
Some of the above is misleading.
The Separatists came to America for religious freedom and were supposed to go to Jamestown; but ended up in Plymouth. The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries, who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and needed to become more Protestant. Neither of these groups had Native Americans on their minds.
However, very soon thereafter - the Indians decided that these people were here to stay. These settlements were on what was Indian land; so these squatters gave way to the issues of land control. And of course that situation only worsened until the Indians were forced off their land. Not a good situation.
It certainly did not start out as genocide but The Trail of Tears ended up being close to it.
The Spanish traded in slaves as did the Portuguese and the British. A British privateer brought some of the first slaves to Jamestown to sell to the settlers; but the Spanish going back to the 1400s had slaves in Florida. And it is widely perceived that Columbus had slaves on board his ship and we know that Drake was also a slave trader. So slaves in America preceded the Jamestown colonies and Americans.
Not all American wealth was built on the labor of slaves. Much of the American wealth was built upon the blood, sweat and tears of the early immigrants who had to build their houses, grow and hunt for their food, weave the cloth to make their clothes, teach their children and build their churches, forts and communities. It was very hard work. And immigrants were the backbone of this country.
In the South the planters has slaves and depended upon them and there were slaves early on in the North too. But it is true that slaves fought in the Revolution and other wars; yet sadly were not always given their freedom and of course slavery is wrong; but slavery was older than the Crusades and to the victor belonged the spoils and that happened to be the people and their belongings.
It is hard to believe that black women could not vote until 1965! It is also hard to believe that most Americans did not see that much wrong at the time aside from the black women.
Raising awareness obviously does not happen overnight and in these different times - good people in the South thought that this was fine and this was their way of life. They did not understand the level of injustice either. The perceptions on both sides were diametrically opposed.
So I am not entirely onboard with the author's version of history and her selection of facts. But it is true that all minorities have had infinite struggles and injustices. All of these minorities suffered huge indignant inequalities and injustices which are on going to this present day.
But as the Wall Street Journal recently wrote: "Identity politics—the artificial segmentation of Americans into antagonistic groups organized along often imagined ethnic, racial and sexual categories—is tearing America apart."
More:
There are two kinds of identity politics. One is good. The other, very bad. | Jonathan Haidt
Link to Video: https://youtu.be/l-_yIhW9Ias
The Rise of VICTIMHOOD Culture on Campus - Seeing People as GOOD or EVIL - Jonathan Haidt
Link to Video:
Jonthan Haidt discusses modern society's transition from an honor culture to a dignity culture, and now to a new victimhood culture, and its profound impact on people raised in such an environment.
Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business. His academic specialization is the psychology of morality and the moral emotions. He is author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, and The Happiness Hypothesis.
He co-authored (with Greg Lukianoff of FIRE) an influential article in the September 2015 issue of The Atlantic, entitled "The Coddling of the American Mind": http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/a...
Jonathan Haidt on “Two Incompatible Values at American Universities.” (Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard)
Link to Video: https://youtu.be/EqUtgFBWezE
Jonathan Haidt The Coddling of the American Mind with Bill Maher
Link to Interview and Video: https://youtu.be/tKW3vKpPrlw
Are 'identity politics’ really a threat to democracy? | Upfront (Al Jazeera)
Link to Video:https://youtu.be/EY_Qg4vddF8
David Webb - The United States is Not Institutionally Racist
Oxford Union Debate
Link to the debate and video: https://youtu.be/pv7hsiUirUU
Joe R. Hicks - The United States is Not Institutionally Racist
Oxford Union Debate
Link to debate and video:https://youtu.be/v4TIU0Ucxig
Donald Mayfield Brown - The United States is Institutionally Racist Oxford Union Debate
Link to debate and video: https://youtu.be/yuyClLZpeKk
Charlie Wolf - The United States is Not Institutionally Racist Oxford Union Debate
Link to debate and video: https://youtu.be/80xr5btjmDY
Annie Teriba - The United States is Institutionally Racist Oxford Union Debate
Link to debate and video:https://youtu.be/TGpdVvn19eI
Aaron Dixon - The United States is Institutionally Racist Oxford Union Debate
Link to debate and video: https://youtu.be/PM868CR0Mw4
Identity Politics
Link to forum video on C-Span: https://www.c-span.org/video/?454841-...
Authors and political scholars talked about on the rise of identity politics. The panelists discussed why they believe the increased focus on interests and perspectives of social groups is harmful to a free and open society.
Note: Madison and Hamilton both warned of factions and small groups trying to take over the democracy's agenda
Al Sharpton - Full Address and Q&A - Oxford Union - Jun 14, 2018
Link to speech: https://youtu.be/ZVXymiiwKek
Link to - Al Sharpton - Is America Institutionally Racist?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8UKd...
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Jonathan Haidt
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Jonathan Haidt
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Nassim Nicholas Taleb"Tough times don't last; tough people do"
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Jonathan Haidt
by Francis Fukuyama (no photo)Synopsis of above book by Fukuyama: The New York Times bestselling author of The Origins of Political Order offers a provocative examination of modern identity politics: its origins, its effects, and what it means for domestic and international affairs of state
In 2014, Francis Fukuyama wrote that American institutions were in decay, as the state was progressively captured by powerful interest groups. Two years later, his predictions were borne out by the rise to power of a series of political outsiders whose economic nationalism and authoritarian tendencies threatened to destabilize the entire international order. These populist nationalists seek direct charismatic connection to "the people," who are usually defined in narrow identity terms that offer an irresistible call to an in-group and exclude large parts of the population as a whole.
Demand for recognition of one's identity is a master concept that unifies much of what is going on in world politics today. The universal recognition on which liberal democracy is based has been increasingly challenged by narrower forms of recognition based on nation, religion, sect, race, ethnicity, or gender, which have resulted in anti-immigrant populism, the upsurge of politicized Islam, the fractious "identity liberalism" of college campuses, and the emergence of white nationalism. Populist nationalism, said to be rooted in economic motivation, actually springs from the demand for recognition and therefore cannot simply be satisfied by economic means. The demand for identity cannot be transcended; we must begin to shape identity in a way that supports rather than undermines democracy.
Identity is an urgent and necessary book--a sharp warning that unless we forge a universal understanding of human dignity, we will doom ourselves to continuing conflict.
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Francis Fukuyama
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Francis Fukuyama
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Francis Fukuyama
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Francis FukuyamaSources: DiAngelo, Robin J.. White Fragility (p. xiii). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition, Wall Street Journal, The Big Think, The Atlantic, Youtube, Al Jazeera, Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard, Oxford Union Debate, C-Span, The Heritage Foundation
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The book is spot on about the way that white people react to discussions of racism, especially when they are faced with the fact that they have said and done things that are hurtful to people of other races. It is goes exactly as she warns in the book. It is common for people to go into denial, become defensive, and explode into a fit of tears or anger. People confronted with their own racism react more dramatically and irrationally than the people who are victims of that racism.
We need to overcome our own egos and acknowledge that we are all prone to some forms of racism through implicit bias. It is a sad truth that we have to accept if we ever want to have a chance at overcoming it. Once we acknowledge it, we cannot cure it, but there are at least some aspects of it that we can correct. This book is the best tool I have seen for accomplishing that. I highly recommend it!
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Why do you think white people go into denial and react more dramatically than people who are victims of racism?
Where does this implicit bias come from and wouldn't it be the same as if you were in a tribe somewhere (Native American, the Middle East which originated in many ways with tribal groups and/or various other parts of the world)?
Why is the United States different? European countries (just one example) were the traders in slaves long before the United States; and it was the Spanish who brought slaves to Florida (long before it was part of the US) - not Americans from the fledgling US; and slaves were on board the ships of Columbus and many men were slave traders like Sir Francis Drake long before the Jamestown settlement.
It was the Europeans who brought slaves to Jamestown to sell; the Jamestown settlements did not request these slaves to be brought there either.
And the culture was different then and their understanding was different too. Does that exonerate any slavery - anywhere in any part of the world or here - absolutely not. It was an abhorrent practice; but this sort of "attitude" is not just here - but globally - don't you think?
Overcoming egos is an uphill battle. But what about the caucasians - whites' argument that there are many poor, white people who have been left behind too; and why should someone's skin color or race give any group a leg up over anybody else who may be white or Asian? Shouldn't there be a level playing field for all?
I am, of course, playing devil's advocate here; but all of the questions are worthy of being discussed no matter how sensitive. We cannot just take what any "one book" has to say without careful examination, testing of the hypotheses or questioning the basic premise.
This should be interesting; I imagine that we will encounter many things that we do not agree with or agree in part, etc. But there are many issues with us today that "do need" to be addressed including the elimination of the choke hold and how peaceful protestors are treated for starters or how you take anyone into custody.
Unfortunately, police do not have an easy job in this country with all of the automatic weapons that abound, major issues in the inner cities; while the majority of them are doing their job as well as they have been trained and are just happy to be helping their community feel safe. Would you feel safe without them, I doubt I would? How do you take care of injustice towards any citizen without appeasement?
What does looting have to do with peaceful protests? Looting is a criminal offense no matter who or what group is doing it. I have even heard about the Boston Tea Party and because some rabble rousers decided to throw tea overboard that means that looting is ok as part of a protest. Franklin offered to pay back the value of the tea that was destroyed - even then it was recognized as a destruction of property. I think it would be difficult for any owners of any store which has been looted to be sympathetic to the peaceful protestors who have legitimate grievances - the criminal acts would cloud over their judgement. I agree that it is all very complicated and that is why it is worthwhile to talk about "all of this" in a very constructive, civil and respectful way. And what happened to George Floyd and so many others is inexcusable and saddens us all.
It is interesting that in the Federalist Papers - Madison and Hamilton especially discussed factions, interest groups, the will of the minority, parties, and self interest. I think that this book will offer a "different perspective" than folks are accustomed to hearing and reading about; and that is always a good thing to be able to "open minds and hearts".
Thank you for posting, post again and I am very interested in hearing your ideas and take on anything presented in this book - so jump in often.
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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) criticized the GOP's suggested police reform bill as "toothless" and spoke to CNN's Brianna Keilar about the need for accountability.
Link to CNN news video: https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2...
Link to Fox news video:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pelo...
Portland banned police chokeholds 35 years ago after death, public outcry; the controversial restraint method still occurs
Updated 1:53 PM; Today 8:06 AM
Link to article: https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2...
Connecticut governor signs order banning chokeholds
Link to article:
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-wa...
UPDATE: 2 officers suspended after video shows APD using chokehold
Link to article:
https://www.heraldbulletin.com/news/u...
Sources: CNN, The Oregonian, Fox, The Hill, The Herald Bulletin
Discussion Topics and Questions:
1. What are your thoughts on any of the articles or videos above?
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Pre-Reading
Write about or discuss the following:
• What is your previous experience discussing race and racism?
• Why have you decided to read and discuss this book?
• What questions do you have prior to reading?
Chapter Overview and Summary
In the introduction, the author explains that North Americans live in a society that is deeply separate and unequal by race, that white people are socialized into a deeply internalized sense of racial superiority, and that conversations about race often challenge a white person’s sense of identity.
The author, focusing on white progressives, explains that the book will define “white fragility,” discuss how it develops, how it
protects racial inequality, and what can be done to overcome it.
Key Concept(s)
• White fragility
Author's definition - "I conceptualize this process as white fragility. Though white fragility is triggered by discomfort and anxiety, it is born of superiority and entitlement. White fragility is not weakness per se. In fact, it is a powerful means of white racial control and the protection of white advantage."
Source: DiAngelo, Robin J.. White Fragility (p. 2). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.
Discussion Topics and Questions
1. Why is it important to explicitly discuss race and racism in education with educators and with students?
2. How can reading and discussing this book lead to change?
3. What changes are you hoping to make as a result of reading and discussing this book? Do you believe that there are white people who are not racist? Are black protestors racist in reverse? Is everybody embroiled in their own racial stereotypes?
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I think for the most part since I came from a family which is quite global in many respects - I don't think we talked about it much because we believed that you judged folks on their character, their actions, their family and community interactions, etc. And I truly believe that we did not focus on anyone's country of origin, their ethnicity or race. It would appear to be very rude to point out those superficial differences which really are not at all important to focus on with your friends or family members. One of my siblings was married to a Chinese American. One of my children is married to a Singaporean of Indian descent and one of my nieces was adopted and was born in Seoul, Korea. So this was never a topic which was of any consequence to us because it would never make any difference. To us it is the person's character and personal qualities that we focus on not anything else.
I guess for educators and students - it is important to be inclusive in the classroom and discuss the importance of the cultural background of students.
I am not sure how reading and discussing this book will lead to change but education and understanding are two very good places to start.
I seek to understand more and understand what others might be going through.
That is my walk through of the pre questions. Try them yourself.
Mod
"While implicit bias is always at play because all humans have bias, inequity can occur simply through homogeneity; if I am not aware of the barriers you face, then I won’t see them, much less be motivated to remove them. Nor will I be motivated to remove the barriers if they provide an advantage to which I feel entitled."
Source: DiAngelo, Robin J.. White Fragility (p. xiii). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.
Response: I think, for example, that a cabinet of a White House or a government task force or focus group should reflect what America looks like. And that is not the case right now. I am not sure that the average American feels this way or believes DiAngelo's hypothesis. I think that seeing the inequities, the unfairness and the abuse of power and worse of black Americans has saddened the average American of every race. We all responded with horror at what we all witnessed regarding poor George Floyd. The horror we observed would move anyone who has a heart beating irregardless of race or ethnicity. Wrong is wrong and abuse is abuse no matter what your race happens to be. And putting someone in a chokehold or having your knee on someone's neck is horrendous and criminal especially when there is no evidence of violence against the police. Chokeholds should be outlawed. Having said that, I think that DiAngelo makes these sweeping statements that seem to tar everyone with the same brush.
I am sure that every person has a different interpretation and I welcome hearing everybody's. I am a very critical reader so I look for sources, studies, stats, data while judging sweeping assessments. I have no idea what advantages anyone can have for example for maintaining the chokehold practice in any one of the police force locations across the US. How does that practice make anyone for example feel more entitled or give anyone any advantage? I saw in France that as a country they were going to make that practice illegal and then they backed down because the police stated that not having that option would endanger them.
I do not understand the French police's viewpoint - do you?
France backtracks on chokehold ban after police protests
Link: https://www.euronews.com/2020/06/16/f...
Mod
"Not naming the groups that face barriers only serves those who already have access; the assumption is that the access enjoyed by the controlling group is universal. For example, although we are taught that women were granted suffrage in 1920, we ignore the fact that it was white women who received full access or that it was white men who granted it. Not until the 1960s, through the Voting Rights Act, were all women—regardless of race—granted full access to suffrage. Naming who has access and who doesn’t guides our efforts in challenging injustice."
Source: DiAngelo, Robin J.. White Fragility (p. xiv). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.
My take on this paragraph and what the author is implying is that if blacks want change then it is not only important for blacks to protest but to also get white folks to protest too and allow these changes to occur and that naming who has access and who doesn't guides the efforts in challenging the injustices. The changes that need to be made in police practices can be made community by community or state by state or country by country. There it will be determined I imagine by community recommendations and local elected councils. At the state level - it will be determined by the people elected for office (so get out and vote) and the same thing goes for House of Representative members, Senate and President.
But I think that a lot of change can happen at the police level with updating their training, hiring, crowd control and arrest practices and procedures. That has yet to be done country wide.
I guess I partially agree with the author here. What do you think?
Mod
"I am white and am addressing a common white dynamic. I am mainly writing to a white audience; when I use the terms us and we, I am referring to the white collective.
This usage may be jarring to white readers because we are so rarely asked to think about ourselves or fellow whites in racial terms. But rather than retreat in the face of that discomfort, we can practice building our stamina for the critical examination of white identity—a necessary antidote to white fragility.
Source: DiAngelo, Robin J.. White Fragility (p. xiv). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.
My take on the above is that I have never thought of a white collective or a white identity. Any race questions or ethnicity questions on any form that everyone says is optional - I never answer. I have never thought in racial terms at any time that I can remember. What about you?
Mod
Cisgender (sometimes cissexual, often abbreviated to simply cis) is a term for people whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth. For example, someone who identifies as a woman and was assigned female at birth is a cisgender woman. The term cisgender is the opposite of the word transgender.
Mod
All I could think about when reading this was President Obama: half black and half white. Yet he identifies more with his black heritage versus the one he grew up with which was his white one while predominantly all of his influencers were from his white family members. He married a black women - Michelle Obama. I wonder how he views himself in terms of his cultural heritage?
Mod
"Not naming the groups that face barriers only serves those who already have access; the assumption is that the access enjoyed by the controlling group is universal..."
I think this passage is also about this idea of colorblindness. Many white people try to say "I don't see color" and think that that is enough to ensure that they are incapable of racism.
When people bring up cases like George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, there are always those who ask, "Why do you have to make it about race? It's just police brutality. Police brutality happens to everyone." It is true that police brutality happens to white people as well, but police brutality happens to black people at a much higher rate than it does to white people, as do arrests for crimes that are committed by white people at the same rate. Race plays a significant role in this issue, but many white people want to deflect from that because it makes them uncomfortable or because it makes it about other people and not about them. They are afraid of being excluded from the collective empathizing.
DiAngelo is trying snap people out of this way of thinking and help them to be willing to confront race head on and be willing to acknowledge the pain of others without making it about yourself.
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Trouble I've Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism (other topics)Just Mercy (other topics)
Between the World and Me (other topics)
How to Be an Antiracist (other topics)
Between the World and Me (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Drew G. I. Hart (other topics)Bryan Stevenson (other topics)
Ta-Nehisi Coates (other topics)
Ibram X. Kendi (other topics)
Ta-Nehisi Coates (other topics)
More...
With the current climate regarding race relations in this country right now - this is one of the books that is considered top on a lot of lists on race relations and being able to talk about racism.
Considering the debilitating events of the last couple of weeks, it is timely. And the question of what can I do is on many white people's minds. And that is where the reason for reading this together begins.
I am also opening up a thread to read and discuss - Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America