White Fragility

Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

De: Robin DiAngelo

Narrado por: Amy Landon

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo.

Anger. Fear. Guilt. Denial. Silence. These are the ways in which ordinary white people react when it is pointed out to them that they have done or said something that has - unintentionally - caused racial offence or hurt. After, all, a racist is the worst thing a person can be, right? But these reactions only serve to silence people of colour, who cannot give honest feedback to 'liberal' white people lest they provoke a dangerous emotional reaction.

Robin DiAngelo coined the term 'White Fragility' in 2011 to describe this process and is here to show us how it serves to uphold the system of white supremacy. Using knowledge and insight gained over decades of running racial awareness workshops and working on this idea as a Professor of Whiteness Studies, she shows us how we can start having more honest conversations, listen to each other better and react to feedback with grace and humility. It is not enough to simply hold abstract progressive views and condemn the obvious racists on social media - change starts with us all at a practical, granular level, and it is time for all white people to take responsibility for relinquishing their own racial supremacy.

'With clarity and compassion, DiAngelo allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to "bad people." In doing so, she moves our national discussions forward. This is a necessary book for all people invested in societal change' Claudia Rankine

'By turns mordant and then inspirational, an argument that powerful forces and tragic histories stack the deck fully against racial justice alongside one that we need only to be clearer, try harder, and do better' David Roediger, Los Angeles Review of Books

'The value in White Fragility lies in its methodical, irrefutable exposure of racism in thought and action, and its call for humility and vigilance' Katy Waldman, New Yorker

'A vital, necessary, and beautiful book' Michael Eric Dyson

Reseñas de la Crítica

Brings language to the emotional structures that make true discussions about racial attitudes difficult. With clarity and compassion, DiAngelo allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to 'bad people.' This is a necessary book for all people invested in societal change through productive social and intimate relationships (Claudia Rankine)

A methodical, irrefutable exposure of racism in thought and action, and its call for humility and vigilance

Fascinatingly reads as one-part jeremiad and one-part handbook. It is by turns mordant and then inspirational, an argument that powerful forces and tragic histories stack the deck fully against racial justice alongside one that we need only to be clearer, try harder, and do better.

Must read

Any white person wishing to move towards being an anti-racist in action, should add this to their list of must reads. I acknowledge that this title is written by and profiting a white woman, it is also essential that you add a range of books by authors from black, indigenous and other people of colour on this topic. In combination with these other authors, I have found this book to be extremely beneficial in my work to become anti-racist.

Not the best voice actor, but book changed my life

The book to start on if you are white and unsure about what exactly is going on with race and racism

Not the best voice actor though. don't let that stop you from opening your world view though!

An awesome understanding of white fragility!

The book gave me as a person of color outside the USA, in a country where aparthied continues to linger, a good perspective and understanding of white fragility. A good read for all, the hopefully is much more than a good read for those who do.

Important read, but reader is robotic

White Fragility is an important read for every white person. Robin DiAngelo details why it is so hard for us to talk about racism without automatically going on the offensive. Particularly poignant is her discussion on how we view racism as good vs bad. Because we equate racism with bad people, any indication of racism feels like a huge moral failing on our part. Unfortunately, towards the end of the book, she becomes quite preachy and assumes a tone of judgement of people who react to white fragility, which is a little off-putting.

The reader is supposedly a person but sounds like a robot. Most of the time she is understandable, but when she gets to long sentences – especially those with complex sentence structure and parenthesis like this one – the lack of appropriate expression is problematic. I recommend reading in 1.25x speed.

A must read for all

A challenging yet encouraging articulation of the work to be done by us all !