White Fragility

I got this book as part of my commitment to getting a deeper understanding of the systemic racism and inequality that plagues our country and our world. Robin DiAngelo is an academic, educator, and author working in the fields of critical discourse analysis and whiteness studies. In this book, she distills her decades of experience into a powerful message to her fellow white progressives: We’re too fragile when it comes to discussing racism (and our role in it) and, critically, that fragility and unwillingness to engage in uncomfortable discussions along with equally uncomfortable self- and cultural-analysis is exacerbating the problem. The solution? As she says many times throughout the book: We need to build our racial stamina. Recognizing our fragility is the first step. As you’d expect, the book is a deliberately confronting read. It's equally humbling and ultimately inspiring.