White Fragility Book Club: White Affinity Group Readings 10-10-19

These include: conceptualizing racism as a racist = bad/not racist = good binary; the ideologies of individualism and universalism; racial segregation; the tendency to focus on intent rather than impact; colorblindness; and lack of white racial humility.

"You have no idea that your whiteness and your American identity have become fatally intertwined; they are virtually indistinguishable."

"Since assimilationists posit cultural and behavioral hierarchy, assimilationist policies and programs are geared toward developing, civilizing, and integrating a racial group (to distinguish from programs that uplift individuals). Since segregationists posit the incapability of a racial group to be civilized and developed, segregationist policies are geared toward segregating, enslaving, incarcerating, deporting and killing. Since antiracists posit that the racial groups are already civilized, antiracist policies are geared towards reducing racial inequities and creating equal opportunity."

"It protects Whites from realizing that they benefit from racism; as long as it is not talked about and is hidden from consciousness, they can maintain the illusion that they are not responsible for the state of race relations because they do not knowingly engage in racist behaviors."

Specifically, the Western ideologies of individualism and objectivity make it difficult for white people to explore the collective aspects of white experience. Thus, collectively white people do not see themselves in racial terms. Naming race, however, is a critical component of cross-racial skill building and is necessary in order to engage critically with the topic of race. Also, to increase the racial stamina that counters white fragility, white people must reflect on the whole of their identities and the impact of being members of their racial group.

"Because I spent a lifetime not knowing how to talk about race, learning how was no small task. I envision a day when people can talk about race with terminology and ease that reflect an advanced understanding of race and its impact on American society. Children, not yet as laden with racial baggage as I am, have proven to me just how normal it can be."

Characteristics of allies and the skills whites need to develop in order to build cross-racial relationships are identified. Strategies for the lifelong continuing education necessary for interrupting racism are reiterated and summarized.

"Allies do not have to love dark people, question their privilege, decenter their voice, build meaningful relationships with folx working in the struggle, take risks, or be in solidarity with others. They just have to show up and mark the box present; thus, ally-ship is performative or self-glorifying."

"Being a White racial ally means you have worked hard to become more attuned to the ways that racism can show up, overtly or covertly, within yourself and within your relatoinships. You signal to White friends and colleagues that you will take action to speak out and act when it comes to racism, and you signal to people of color that you are an advocate."

Racial stress is triggered when foundational ideologies such as color-blindness, meritocracy, and individualism are challenged, and often white people are unable to respond constructively. Instead, common responses or emotions include anger, withdrawal, emotional incapacitation, guilt, argumentation, and cognitive dissonance.

"My parents didn't silence me because they didn't care about my ideas. They silenced me because their own childhood conflict and authenticity and toward the more socially accepted culture of niceness. They were passing ont o me a survival skill, one that bought a place in the high-class world of comfort and gentility, even if that meant diminishing one's capacity to plug into the circuitry of feelings, cutting oneself off from one's own heart and soul."

"We will learn more about how to bring simple awareness to bear in our interactions with others with the help of nonviolent, mindful, and awareness-based communication practices, specially designed to support mindful engagement with our own voice and in meaningful conversations with others."

"This requires deepening our practices of mindfulness and compassion with a view of our own worth, or a commitment to personal justice. We have to deal in particular with the core, the root of the issues— the feelings we have that overwhelm us, the ones that make us crazy. We have to wade into the feelings we are often ashamed to admit."