LibGuides: White Fragility Book Club: Overcoming White Fragility

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SURJ DC
SURJ-DC is the DC chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice, a national network of groups and individuals organizing white people for racial justice.
DC Area Educators 4 Social Justice
D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice is a network of educators who seek to strengthen and deepen social justice teaching.

How to Apologize

9 Phrases Allies Can Say When Called Out Instead of Getting Defensive
"I’ve compiled a list that I’ve picked up (as both the one having been called out and the one doing the call-out) that can facilitate healing. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s a place to start – and often times, getting started is the most difficult part."
Intent vs. Impact: Why Your Intentions Don’t Really Matter
Utt, Jamie. “Intent vs. Impact: Why Your Intentions Don’t Really Matter - Everyday Feminism.” Everyday Feminism, 8 May 2016, https://everydayfeminism.com/2013/07/intentions-dont-really-matter/.
I'm Going to Mess Up... and That's Not Going to Stop Me
Eley, Emily. “I’m Going to Mess Up... and That’s Not Going to Stop Me.” Emergingwomen.Com, 4 Feb. 2017.
You’re Gonna Screw Up
Hathcock, April. “You’re Gonna Screw Up.” At The Intersection, At The Intersection, 29 Sept. 2017.

"Here's what I do when a Person of Colour or an Indigenous person calls me out (in the non-duelling sense):

1. Assume they're speaking in good faith because they know more about racism than I do. Too many of us whites are convinced we know more about racism than the people who actually experience it. We don't. Even those of us with PhDs on the subject. Someone saying something mean about us because we're white is not the same as systemic racism.

2. Listen. That uncomfortable feeling? I've learnt that it's a good thing. I no longer run away from it.

3. Learn. This is the part where I figure out why the criticism is making me feel uncomfortable. Always remembering that feeling uncomfortable is nothing compared to being subjected to racism. Discomfort isn't lethal.

4. Assume that the calling out is not about me but about making the world a less racist, more equitable place.

5. Do what I can to make the world a less racist, more equitable place. Obviously, this is the hardest part."

Justine Larbalestier. “On White Fragility, by Guest Blogger Justine Larbalestier.” Reading While White, 1 Aug. 2016, http://readingwhilewhite.blogspot.com/2016/08/on-white-fragility-by-guest-blogger.html. Accessed 3 Jan. 2019.

When do racists deserve forgiveness? (Vox)
Crawford, Martha M. “Liam Neeson, Ralph Northam, and When Confession Causes More Harm than Good.” Vox, Vox, 13 Feb. 2019, https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/2/13/18222671/liam-neeson-ralph-northam.
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"I’ve been thinking about the complexities around confession and forgiveness. As a psychotherapist for 25 years who has worked immersed in issues of race and racism, I believe it is important for white people to find spaces where we can name our past racist failures and identify the ways we have been both contaminated by racist systems and have perpetrated racist acts.

But it is important to remember that to inflict such confessions on people of color without their consent is a kind of psychological violence. We have to think about the settings we speak into, and how they may inflict further injury."

Be an Ally

Becoming Trustworthy White Allies
Morrison, Melanie S. “Becoming Trustworthy White Allies | Reflections.” Yale.Edu, 1 Jan. 2013, https://reflections.yale.edu/article/future-race/becoming-trustworthy-white-allies. Accessed 3 Jan. 2019.
Race Conversations in White Spaces: The End and the Beginning
Bolt, Sophia. “Race Conversations in White Spaces: The End and the Beginning.” Everyday Race Blog, NYU Center for Strategic Solutions., 17 Sept. 2016.
Opportunities for White People in the Fight for Racial Justice
The ideas captured on this website, very much a work in progress, have been developed to support White people to act for racial justice. It draws from ideas and resources developed mostly by Black, Brown and People of Color, and has been edited by Black, Brown, and People of Color.
White Ally Toolkit
The White Ally Toolkit focuses specifically on helping white folks have more effective encounters with white friends, co-workers and family who are skeptical that racism is a problem. Applying current research on persuasion, we have travelled the country giving workshops to thousands, produced books, online webinars and community-building subscriptions to help #MoveTheNeedle on racism and create a more beloved community. The White Ally Toolkit leaves participants with concrete skills for using their own racial background as a tool to advance racial equity.

The White Ally Toolkit Workbook by David Campt
ISBN: 9781943382033
Publication Date: 2018-12-03

Apply for Fellowships

Deeper Learning Equity Fellowship
Through a combination of face-to-face and online dialogue, school visits, conversations with prominent senior education leaders, and independent or partnered Fellow capstone projects, the program will provide Fellows with the perspectives and tools necessary for effective and expanded Deeper Learning leadership in the the public school sector.
Leading for Equity (LFE) Fellowship
This program is for select leaders who have expressed a commitment to leading, designing, and facilitating equity-centered learning experiences in their context. This Fellowship breaks the common occurrence of isolation, and foster a network of leaders that will experience opportunities for renewal, inspiration, healing, and sustenance. These leaders seek the opportunity to go deeper with their own transformational leadership development with other equity-focused leaders.
The Equity Lab Fellowship
The Equity Lab runs two fellowship programs for professionals who are interested in engaging deeply with race and equity work.
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The Nexus Fellowship was designed in response to the overwhelming need for race, equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) in the learning profession.
The Seeding Disruption Fellowship brings together a diverse group of leaders in Washington, DC, from organizations doing work in PK–12 education and in intersecting fields.

Are you racist? "No" Isn't a good enough answer

Here Are 4 Ways to Navigate Whiteness and Feminism – Without Being a White Feminist (TM)
McClouskey, Maddie. “Here Are 4 Ways to Navigate Whiteness and Feminism – Without Being a White Feminist (TM) - Everyday Feminism.” Everyday Feminism, 29 June 2015, https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/06/navigating-whiteness-feminism/. Accessed 3 Jan. 2019.
The scientific way to train white people to stop being racist
Katherine Kirkinis & Sarah Birdsong, 2016. Quartz (qz.com)
EDITORIAL: What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege
Hutcherson, Lori Lakin. “EDITORIAL: What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege.” GOOD BLACK NEWS, 4 July 2016, https://goodblacknews.org/2016/07/14/editorial-what-i-said-when-my-white-friend-asked-for-my-black-opinion-on-white-privilege/.
11-Step Guide to Understanding Race, Racism, and White Privilege
"In the wake of terrorism against Black Americans in Charleston, beyond outraged and fed up, I compiled a list of race-related resources for fellow White Americans, who too often have the privilege to remain ignorant of the realities and toll of racism."

Calling In vs Calling Out

Calling In: A Quick Guide on When and How
Ferguson, Sian. “Calling In: A Quick Guide on When and How - Everyday Feminism.” Everyday Feminism, 18 Jan. 2015, https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/01/guide-to-calling-in/. Accessed 3 Jan. 2019.

Avoid Tone-Policing

The Privilege of Politeness
Tilahun, Na’amen Gobert. “The Privilege of Politeness.” The Angry Black Woman, 12 Feb. 2008.