The vast majority of people on the actual left, not the Biden-HIllary liberals, think that the White Fragility is largely bs. Supposedly the author charges as much as $6,000 per her to give seminars to big corporations. It is a sort of corporate hr response to racism. This a blatant case of "race reductionism" which totally demphasizes distinctions such as class. It decreases solidarity among the lower socio-economic classes which results in more suffering for the 99% which is disproportionately non-white. It is a call to engage in internal naval gazing to focus on occasional racist impulses and to sort of say that the black and brown underclass will never have better conditions till the last racist thoughts are excised. If you deny this then it just show how racist you are and how fragile you are not to admit it or dwell on it. As we have seen with the gradually growing well-off black professional class, their interests and eventually their voting behavior will be in their class interest. Many, like similar whites would be quite content if 14% of the upper 1% were Latino, 12% black and 50% women.
This. There really is no one answer and even though I think author of the book was virtue signalling, the book does serve a purpose in telling white people to just listen and not get defensive. Great **** as always.
It's amazing the lack of some posters in this thread that has actual discussions on race relations. I wonder why?
I'm not so sure about this. This is anecdotal but most of the people I've seen pushing the idea of White Fragility and that white people to be good allies pretty much need to be quiet are people further on the left than those who are more moderate and who support politicians like Sanders, Omar and AOC. I will also say that it seemed that most of the people who were saying we shouldn't question or criticize rioting and looting during the George Floyd protest were more to the left and Sanders supporters.
Even the title: White Fragility. The subject is white people, actually. That pretty much sums it up. From the piece, it sounds like instructions for a type of white cool. How to be a proper white person. It's confusing because it sounds as if Black people are supposedly the super fragile ones, and white people have to restrain their own powers or actions to protect the fragile Black people. (I think American Black people are pretty damn well far from fragile.) And so, according to her, any given successful Black person is not the same as a white one--a powerful self-made millionaire who came out of nowhere, for example--but also this weird creature covered with historical bruises who we have to tiptoe and whisper around. White people whispering to each other about bruised Black people.
The point is, she's concerned with herself, not Black people. That's fine, just so people understand: she's not about Black people. Another important point in this piece was about what good white people are supposed to do. Since white people are apparently so powerful that they have to muzzle themselves, to protect weak Black sensibilities, the only thing white people are allowed to do is act inwardly, by feeling bad. This is lame, and this is just a form of self-involvement and self-stimulation.
So White Fragility is a "Karen" book. It literally talks about the incredible power of when "we" cry. Power over Black people! But it is true that turning on the water works works.
sure, we have the Rockets. But discussions like this one, with people sharing perspectives like this one quoted? Priceless. I can’t get within a country mile of open talk like that at my so-called university. Real talk. Thanks to all y’all in this thread. I remember when I heard White Fragility author on the radio and feeling it was so reductionist. BUT it’s also too easy for white folk like me to find articulate criticism of her work and dismiss it ALL part and parcel. Probably a golden mean to find here.
