White Fragility

  Over the course of February, Black History Month in the United States, I engaged in a journaling exercise which was meant to help me confront the influence of white supremacy in my own heart and mind.  The author of the journaling exercise, Layla Saad, walks readers through a series of issues that reveal the depths of how racism really works in the lives of white people.  I found that journaling exercise profoundly transformative and necessary for my life.  Near the end of that journey I committed to continuing the work of paying attention to the influences of white supremacy on me, by staying engaged in the topic, reading further, and listening to the voices of teachers who could help me see what I needed to see in order to experience greater freedom from white supremacy.

  The book titled: "White Fragility" by Robin Diangelo, was the first book I picked up after this journaling exercise.  And I have been challenged again!

  Diangelo does a masterful job of articulating, in an autobiographical way, the effects of white supremacy, white centeredness and white norms on her own life.  And while I read her words, I sensed deep resonance with my own experiences and thoughts.

  There are far too many valuable insights in this book for me to distill in a short blog post.  You need to read this for yourself.  But, I will say one of the more helpful insights for me, was the redefinition of racism as not individual malicious actions but rather a system of oppressive forces which have over many centuries made whiteness normative and centered, and any other skin color lesser or inferior.

   This shift in definition alone, breaks down the all too often guarded reaction of white people which has come to be known as white fragility.  White people who are nice, and not involved with groups like the KKK or other blatant hate groups can excuse themselves from responsibility because it's "not their problem" but that reveals the individual centered definition of racism, which is far too simplistic to capture the reality of this terrible and evil system.

  All this to say, if you want a very helpful guide to understanding why you as a white person have a hard time talking about race, this one is a great start.  And I highly recommend Layla Saad's journaling experience as well.  It is essential if you want to be active in the work of ending racism.