On White Fragility

“White people go around, it seems to me, with a very carefully suppressed terror of Black people—a tremendous uneasiness,” Baldwin said. “They don’t know what the Black face hides. They’re sure it’s hiding something. What it’s hiding is American history. What it’s hiding is what white people know they have done, and what they like doing. White people know very well one thing; it’s the only thing they have to know. They know this; everything else, they’ll say, is a lie. They know they would not like to be Black here. They know that, and they’re telling me lies. They’re telling me and my children nothing but lies.”

(James Baldwin, 1979 interview with Joseph Lovett, newly resurfaced)

The Oxford language dictionary defines “white fragility” as:

discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice.

It seems fitting after the past few days for DJN that we would explore this idea.

The opening quote by James Baldwin is still just as pertintent today as it was in 1979. Maybe more so.

We have been quietly educating, gathering, listening and learning.

We chose to focus our efforts on a specific task, one that challenged our allies to action and sacrifice.

The response, while in some ways very heartening and successful, in many others, solidifed the fears under the surface,

When actually asked to be uncomfortable, when confronted with information on racial inequality and asked to do something they do not want to do, perhaps are afraid to do- they lie. They get defensive. and they lie.

The only way we are ever going to live in a world with more justice and equal opportunity is if most so called allies can pause when uncomfortable, pause when called out, pause when asked to do soemthing they fear… and just ask… could this be my own white fragility?

It is a start.