Table of Contents Cover Title Page Dedication Contents Foreword Author’s Note Introduction: We Can’t Get There from Here 1. The Challenges of Talking to White People About Racism 2. Racism and White Supremacy 3. Racism After the Civil Rights Movement 4. How Does Race Shape the Lives of White People? 5. The Good/Bad Binary 6. Anti-Blackness 7. Racial Triggers for White People 8. The Result: White Fragility 9. White Fragility in Action 10. White Fragility and the Rules of Engagement 11. White Women’s Tears 12. Where Do We Go from Here? Resources for Continuing Education Acknowledgments Notes Copyright Pagebreaks of the print version iii iv v vi vii viii ix x xi xii xiii xiv xv xvi xvii xviii xix xx 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 Guide Cover Copyright Contents 1 The Challenges of Talking to White People About Racism PRAISE FOR WHITE FRAGILITY “White Fragility is a rare and incisive examination of the system of white- body supremacy, which binds us all as Americans. Robin DiAngelo explicates the underlying Western ideologies of individualism and presumed objectivity that tighten those bonds. But she doesn’t just analyze this system. With authenticity and clarity, she provides the antidote to white fragility and a road map for developing white racial stamina and humility. White Fragility loosens the bonds of white supremacy and binds us back together as human beings.” —RESMAA MENAKEM, author of My Grandmother’s Hands and Rock the Boat “What an amazingly powerful book Robin DiAngelo has written! This remarkable book encourages folks to embrace a more deeply nuanced exploration of white culture and dominance and, as such, will be a great contribution in promoting the necessary policy change and healing that this country requires. Dr. DiAngelo’s work in deconstructing whiteness is not only brilliant, it is written in a way that is crystal clear and accessible to each and every reader. While this is a powerful scholarly analysis of white fragility, it is also an invitation to engage in deep personal inquiry and collective change. As a woman of color, I find hope in this book because of its potential to disrupt the patterns and relationships that have emerged out of long-standing colonial principles and beliefs. White Fragility is an essential tool toward authentic dialogue and action. May it be so!” —SHAKTI BUTLER, president of World Trust and director of Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible “As powerful forces of white racism again swell, DiAngelo invites white progressives to have a courageous conversation about their culture of complicity. To eradicate racism, she encourages white people to relinquish ingrained hyper-attachment to individualism and embrace predictable patterns of their own racial group. White Fragility provides important antiracist understanding and essential strategies for well-intentioned white people who truly endeavor to be a part of the solution.” —GLENN E. SINGLETON, author of Courageous Conversations About Race “White fragility is the secret ingredient that makes racial conversations so difficult and achieving racial equity even harder. But by exposing it and showing us all—including white folks—how it operates and how it hurts us, individually and collectively, Robin DiAngelo has performed an invaluable service. An indispensable volume for understanding one of the most important (and yet rarely appreciated) barriers to achieving racial justice.” —TIM WISE, author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son “In White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo demonstrates an all-too-rare ability to enter the racial conversation with complexity, nuance, and deep respect. Her writing establishes her mastery in accessing the imaginal, metaphoric mind, where the possibility for transformation resides. With an unwavering conviction that change is possible, her message is clear: the incentive for white engagement in racial justice work is ultimately self-liberation.” —LETICIA NIETO, coauthor of Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment: A Developmental Strategy to Liberate Everyone