White Fragility

White is often considered the ‘default’ without being explicitly mentioned. This means white people can get defensive when someone ‘brings race into it’ by even saying the word. Due to the fact that white people are often shielded from race-based stress, 'white fragility' refers to the intense reaction that oftentimes occurs when racism or white supremacy are brought up as factors to white people.

The harm of white fragility has been described, felt, and experienced by Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities for centuries. The concept of ‘white fragility’ as spoken about in popular culture was coined by Robin DiAngelo, a white woman.

DiAngelo points to ways to combat white fragility, including:

• White people being willing to tolerate the discomfort associated with an honest appraisal and discussion of our internalized superiority and racial privilege.

• White people challenging our own racial reality by acknowledging ourselves as racial beings with a particular and limited perspective on race.

• White people attempting to understand the racial realities of people of colour through authentic interaction rather than through the media or unequal relationships.

• White people taking action to address our own racism, the racism of other whites, and the racism embedded in our institutions—e.g., get educated and act.

While the concept of ‘White Fragility’ can be useful to identify some of the patterned responses that white people have to being called in/out for racist attitudes, behaviours, and actions, many Black, Indigenous, and racialized people have been talking about these experiences for years before DiAngelo’s book.