HomeMy WebLinkAboutWhite Fragility Book Discussion Resource GuideWhite Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
by Robin DiAngelo
Book Discussion Resource Guide (Chapters 1-6)
Conversation Guidelines
These guidelines serve to promote a safe and productive dialogue about the book. They will be
discussed at the beginning of each book discussion.
• Listen patiently & actively – hear others out completely before responding or
reacting. If you have immediate reactions, write it down and come back to it later if it
still feels relevant.
• Be present; experience and sit with discomfort – don’t allow yourself to stop
paying attention or give in to distractions when things become hard or uncomfortable.
• Be mindful of the space you take up – if you notice you are sharing a lot, maybe
you should step back and allow others to speak.
• Suspend judgement – try to meet people where they’re at. Remember that everyone
is informed by different life experiences and it is not always productive to label things
as right or wrong.
• Choose language carefully – use “I” statements, we can only speak for ourselves.
• Respect confidentiality – it is possible that some participants will share vulnerable
stories or experiences, and they should not leave this space.
Important Disclaimers
These were outlined in the Author’s note, and DiAngelo talks about them in more detail on
various platforms. They are important to keep in mind throughout this book discussion.
1. 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.
2. The arguments in this book build off of antiracism scholarship & activism that
BIPOC have written for generations. This book is just a starting point for educating
yourself on anti-racism, and there are many resources for continuing education from
BIPOC voices (see Resources for Continuing Education section of the book).
3. The primary goal for white people working to understand racism is not to learn how
racism impacts BIPOC, but to recognize how racist systems shape our lives, how we
uphold those systems, and how we can interrupt them.
4. This book is primarily targeted towards white people and focused on raising the racial
consciousness of white people. So, many of the questions posed in the book specifically
target white people as well. For BIPOC reading this book, it might validate some of the
lived experiences you have and give insight on some of the challenges in engaging white
people in discussions about race. While the work of this text is primarily focused on the
role that white people play within the system of racism, BIPOC are still exposed to the
same messages and may want to consider how those messages have impacted them. This
dynamic is colloquially described as “assimilation” (or “acting white”) and is described
in scholarship as “collusion.” These terms refer to BIPOC upholding values and
behaviors that ultimately support white supremacy. 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.
Terms & Definitions
Definitions are paraphrased from DiAngelo’s White Fragility. These are the definitions we will
be using throughout this book discussion.
Race: Race is a social construct. It is not a biologically heritable characteristic, and it does not
have roots in physiological structures or genes. It is an agreed upon myth, however it is real in
the way society has assigned its meaning through granting rights, resources, and privileges.
Prejudice: Pre-judgement about a person based on their social groups. This includes thoughts,
feelings, stereotypes, attitudes, and generalizations. All humans have prejudice due to
socialization.
Discrimination: Actions, subtle or extreme, that are based on prejudice. This includes ignoring,
exclusion, ridicule, slander, and violence.
Racism: When a racial groups collective prejudice is backed by the power of legal authority and
institutional control. “Racism is a structure, not an event.”
New Racism: the ways in which racism has adapted over time so that modern norms, policies,
and practices result in similar racial outcomes as those in the past.
• Color blind racism: "I don't see race; I don't see you as black! In fact, it's racist to be
talking about race!"
• Aversive racism: "Our workplace is virtually all white because people of color just don't
apply! They would rather be someplace more urban."
• Cultural racism: "We're supposed to be post-racial now, yet discrimination against
whites is just as bad as discrimination against Blacks. By the way, did you see they just
hired a new staff member from Chicago? Wonder how he got hired..."
The white racial frame: The internalized and unconscious way in which white people are
socialized view the world, reinforcing messages that position white people as superior. This
includes both negative understandings of BIPOC and positive understandings of whiteness &
white institutions.
White supremacy: A descriptive term to capture the all-encompassing assumptions and
practices of superiority of white people. It is an overarching political, economic, and social
system of domination that is especially relevant in countries with a history of colonialism.
Remember - white supremacy does NOT exclusively refer to individual white people and their
intentions or actions.
White solidarity: The unspoken agreement among white people to protect white advantage. A
form of “racial bonding” in which white people do not cause one another to feel racial
discomfort by refusing to confront them when saying or do something racially problematic.
BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, People of Color
At the time this book was written, ‘people of color’ was the best way to refer to non-white
individuals. BIPOC is a newer term that separates the identities of Black and Indigenous
because the racial struggles those groups have faced throughout history are far more extreme.
Although DiAngelo uses the term people of color throughout White Fragility, she uses BIPOC in
her more recent work.
Discussion Questions
These are sample discussion questions, and our 1-hour book discussion will not allow time to
touch on them all. Even so, there is great value in taking the time to think about all of these on
your own. Remember that this discussion is simply a starting point, and you are encouraged to
continue having these conversations moving forward.
1. DiAngelo critiques the common definition of racism as bad things done by bad people
to hurt others because of race. What is her definition of racism, and why is this important
for our learning?
a. What does it mean to say that race is socially constructed?
b. What does DiAngelo mean when she says there is no such thing as reverse
racism?
2. According to DiAngelo, why was it "necessary" in the U.S. to invent and define who was
white and who was Black / non-white?
a. Did it surprise you to read about white ethnic groups who were not always
thought of in the U.S. to be white? Who got to decide who was white?
b. Were any of your white U.S. ancestors considered to be non-white? Were
times tough for your immigrant ancestors? If so, in what ways does DiAngelo say
this is still not the same as being Black in the U.S.?
c. If you are an immigrant, do you think your race hindered or helped your
immigration case, or had no impact at all? In what ways?
d. Why is the idea that the U.S. is a “melting pot” problematic?
3. DiAngelo writes that we are used to thinking of white supremacy solely in terms of
violent racists and hate crimes. She argues that this keeps white people from examining
and addressing their own involvement in racist systems.
a. What is the relationship between silence (or declaring ourselves exempt from
responsibility) and power, control, and white supremacy?
b. We hear a lot about "Iowa nice." Do we benefit from keeping silent? What do we
gain or lose in declaring ourselves exempt?
c. Think of some examples of the white racial frame from your life.
4. In Chapter 3, DiAngelo discusses three types of "new" racism among white people:
Color blind racism, Aversive racism, and Cultural racism (definitions above). Were any
of these types familiar to you?
a. Why does DiAngelo say that white progressives cause the most harm to
BIPOC?
5. In Chapter 4, DiAngelo lists a number of ways that being white shapes the perspectives,
experiences, and responses of white people in the U.S. (listed below). What are your
thoughts on these?
a. Belonging: As I move through my daily life, my race is unremarkable. My
presence is not questioned. I belong. Try and identify at least 3 ways white racial
belonging has been conveyed to you in the last week.
b. Freedom from the burden of race: I don't have to worry my race will be held
against me. Race just isn't my problem.
c. Freedom of movement: I am free to move or sit in virtually any space & will be
seen as normal, neutral, valuable. I won't be the only white person there. I am not
being surveilled or singled out. My presence is not questioned.
d. "Just people": My race is held up as the norm for humanity. I am the
default; others are "diverse" or "multicultural."
e. White solidarity: Maintains status quo; this requires silence & tacit agreement to
remain racially united. Think about a time you have experienced the expectation
of white solidarity or racial silence. What did you do?
f. The "good old days": The past was great for white people, white men in
particular.
g. White racial innocence: I grew up in segregation and thus have been sheltered of
race. It's not my fault if I say or do something insensitive since no one taught me.
If I get in trouble, I am likely to get the benefit of a doubt.
h. Segregated lives: There are few if any people of color in my neighborhood /
church / work / department / circle of friends / movies or tv shows that I watch.
That is no loss to me. Think about how various patters of segregation across
your lifespan have shaped your racial frame.
6. DiAngelo suggests that one of the most effective barriers to talking about racism with
white people is the good/bad binary. How have you seen this binary underlying
common white responses to charges of racism? How might you respond when the binary
surfaces in discussions about racism?
7. How can a white person still enact racism in a close relationship with a person of color?
Doesn’t the close relationship itself prove that the person is not racist? Explain how and
why enacting racism in a close relationship with a person of color is not only
possible but inevitable.
8. What does it mean to say that anti-blackness is present across all communities of color,
even within black communities?
9. What are some of the misunderstandings about affirmative action and what do these
misunderstandings reveal about anti-blackness?
a. Why haven’t affirmative action programs changed our racial outcomes?
10. Consider the bulleted list following the author’s analysis of The Blind Side. In which
other films have you seen similar racial scripts?
*All questions are adapted from DiAngelo’s reading guide and Iowa State University’s book discussion series
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