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

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You must be willing to pick up this book with an open mind and a willingness to learn. If not, you will be easily offended and will not be open to what this book is about. The biggest takeaway I had from reading this book is the pervasiveness of racism and the stronghold it has in our societal institutions. While I'd like to think that I had some awareness of racism before, this book made me reflect and made me think that I was not as enlightened as I thought. Because I am part of the group that is considered the "norm," I have the privilege of not having to think about race every day and at every turn. It's hard to talk to white people about racism because it requires us to rethink and reconsider everything and to think about things that we've never had to think of. This book is certainly a start for engaging in the kind of reflection that is necessary to understanding institutional racism and the role that we all play in upholding the system. However, you need to be open to reading confrontational ideas and open to doing some soul searching, otherwise, reading this book will probably be ineffective.

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