WHITE FRAGILITY
Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism
by Robin Diangelo
Back in June when so many people were sharing lists of resources for those who wanted to educate themselves about anti-racism, this book appeared over and over. I added it to my library cue, but it was in such high demand, I didn’t get to check it out until this month. Although it is a difficult read, I am glad I finally got the chance.
Many of the books I have read and am planning to read on the topic of racism, anti-racism and white supremacy are written by Black people, and rightly so. But this one is interesting because the perspective is that of a white woman speaking to white people. Diangelo has devoted her life to learning about and teaching anti-racism, particularly in work environments. Her ideas are eye-opening and uncomfortably familiar.
Though hard to do justice to her many concepts in such a short review, I want to share the main idea that I took away from the book which helped change how I think about racism in my own life. Before reading this book I already had a good idea that racism was part of the system, the way America (and Canada) were built and are currently run. But I had never connected that concept to how that system might have shaped my own life and perspectives. Diangelo made me aware of the fact that most of the media I consume features people who look like me; that most of my teachers, coaches and mentors have looked like me; that I have lived primarily in places where my friends and neighbours look like me. When taken all together, it seems obvious that I would come to think of white as “normal” or “neutral” and anything else as “other.” This is one tiny piece of what makes white supremacy so insidiously pervasive in our culture, and it is a bias I am willing and passionate about fighting against from now on.
There is so much more to unpack in this book. I have no doubt that everyone will find different stories and concepts that resonate more with them. But I am so thankful that I was able to read this book, and I highly encourage you to do so as well. (Lily)
