A Sociologist Examines the “White Fragility” That Prevents White Americans from Confronting Racism

minoritiesinpublishing:

In a new book, “White Fragility,”
DiAngelo attempts to explicate the phenomenon of white people’s
paper-thin skin. She argues that our largely segregated society is set
up to insulate whites from racial discomfort, so that they fall to
pieces at the first application of stress—such as, for instance, when
someone suggests that “flesh-toned” may not be an appropriate name for a
beige crayon. Unused to unpleasantness (more than unused to it—racial
hierarchies tell white people that they are entitled to peace and
deference), they lack the “racial stamina” to engage in difficult
conversations. This leads them to respond to “racial triggers”—the show
“Dear White People,” the term “wypipo”—with “emotions such as anger,
fear and guilt,” DiAngelo writes, “and behaviors such as argumentation,
silence, and withdrawal from the stress-inducing situation.”

A Sociologist Examines the “White Fragility” That Prevents White Americans from Confronting Racism