Publishers Weekly
05/24/2021
DiAngelo follows White Fragility with a fierce critique of the “culture of niceness” that prevents the hard work of dismantling racism. She identifies many problematic behaviors associated with white progressives, such as showcasing one’s “credentials” (“I don’t see color”; “my best friend or partner is Black”) to establish one’s “goodness,” co-opting nonwhite culture under the guise of spirituality, and expressing disingenuous guilt over the privileges afforded by whiteness. DiAngelo, who is white, has particularly harsh criticism for diversity initiatives that address “every other possible form of oppression” in order to make white people feel included; she also asserts that many “woke” white people mistakenly believe that unintentional acts can’t qualify as racist, and that they are not truly open to the perspectives of people of color, and fail to recognize that a belief in “individualism” (“if we all just saw ourselves as individuals, racism would go away”) upholds white supremacy. Defending herself against accusations that she’s taking the spotlight away from BIPOC authors, DiAngelo asserts that her work is meant to be read in conjunction with theirs, and includes a study guide to help readers “go deep and grapple.” Though DiAngelo’s defensiveness is more exhausting than inspiring, she dismantles unconscious biases with precision. Readers will feel compelled to hold themselves more accountable. (June)
From the Publisher
"A powerful new book from the author of White Fragility reveals why profound racism is often found in supposedly liberal spaces"—The Guardian
“A pointed reminder that good intentions aren’t enough to break the cycle of racism.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A fierce critique of the ‘culture of niceness’ that prevents the hard work of dismantling racism . . . [DiAngelo] dismantles unconscious biases with precision. Readers will feel compelled to hold themselves more accountable.”
—Publishers Weekly
“With the hard-earned insights that come from years of study and leading workshops on racism, Robin DiAngelo captures the strategies often used by well-intentioned white people to avoid the self-examination needed to confront their own unrecognized racism. If you want to get beyond feeling defensive and increase your capacity for effective anti-racist action, do yourself a favor and read this book!”
—Beverly Daniel Tatum, author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race
“In this illuminating follow-up to White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo integrates sharp insight, personal vulnerability, and compassionate guidance with the keen eye of an ‘insider.’ Focusing specifically on the more subtle patterns of white progressives, her work continues to be invaluable to the project of ending white supremacy.”
—Resmaa Menakem, author of My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
“Personal transformation is an act of anti-racism, and DiAngelo has just given progressive white America the field guide.”
—Michael Eric Dyson, author of Long Time Coming
“Spectacular! With the precision of a social scientist, Robin DiAngelo dissects and puts under the microscope seemingly benign ‘white moves’—including her own—in ways that make undeniable how each functions to recalibrate white dominance and comfort again and again. A critical tool for white progressives wanting to know better so we can do better.”
—Debby Irving, author of Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race
Kirkus Reviews
2021-05-22
The author of White Fragility suggests that with friends like White progressives, people of color need no other enemies.
In opening, DiAngelo recalls a Black friend who, for various reasons, was finding it uncomfortable to address White audiences. Observing her and the group before her, “I saw a metaphor for colonialism.” A Black person was doing the hard work of interpreting racism, and a White audience was receiving her insights without breaking a sweat themselves. DiAngelo makes very good points simply in noting how difficult White people—especially those who consider themselves progressive and who bill themselves as colorblind and open to friendships across the racial divide—find it to actually hear about the issue of racism. That issue is central, because “our identities are not separate from the white supremacist society in which we are raised.” In that regard, merely maintaining that he or she is “nice,” well-intended, and open-minded does little good. DiAngelo writes that her aim is not to explain Black people to White audiences but instead to “teach white people about ourselves in relation to Black and other people of color.” One way to engage is to become an active learner with an eye not simply to nonracism but to anti-racism, to recognize that there really is such a thing as White privilege, and to build “authentic cross-racial relationships.” The author provides enough proscriptions that a reader might feel as if a minefield of potential faux pas lies between good intention and meaningful action. But that’s just the point, and she’s certainly willing to own the assumptions and mores of her progressive kin. “As white people,” she writes, “we tend to focus on the personal impact of receiving feedback on our racism without acknowledging the cost to BIPOC people for giving us this feedback.” Altogether, it’s a valuable primer to be read alongside the work of other anti-racist activists such as Ibram X. Kendi and Johnnetta Cole.
A pointed reminder that good intentions aren’t enough to break the cycle of racism.
