What Does It Mean to Be White?; Developing White Racial Literacy by Robin DiAngelo

What Does It Mean to Be White?; Developing White Racial Literacy Reviews

• 
  Ashley

  Best for: White people interested in antiracism work (so, hopefully, all white people, but I’m not that naive).
  
  In a nutshell: Academic (and white person) Robin DiAngelo breaks down many of the problems white people have in confronting our own socialization in the racist reality we live in.
  
  Line that sticks with me: “Because of white social, economic, and political power within a white supremacist culture, whites are in the position to legitimize people of color’s assertions of racism. Yet whites are the least likely to see, understand, or be invested in validating those assertions and being honest about their consequences. This leads whites to claim that they disagree with perspectives that challenge their worldview when, in fact, they don’t understand the perspective - thus confusing not understanding with not agreeing.”
  
  Why I chose it: Dr. DiAngelo led a training at my office a few months ago, and it was both brutal and fantastic. During her introduction, she made a comment along the lines of this: “I have spent years researching race and racism. I’ve taught college courses and workplace trainings, and have a PhD in the work. But that said, I welcome challenges and corrections from any person of color in this audience. However, I do not welcome the same from the white people in this room, because I can almost guarantee that none of you have spent as much time thinking about racism as I have.” One friend called that cocky, and it possibly put a lot of white people in the room on the defensive. But really, I think that statement is going to be true 99.9% of the time when talking about race and racism.
  
  Review: This book is nearly 350 pages long, and while it is written by an academic, Dr. DiAngelo makes it as accessible as possible. The target audience is white people, because we are the ones who need an education in how we are socialized in a racist society, and the implications it has for how we navigate the world and contribute to it.
  
  The first half of the book may seem somewhat elementary to folks who aren’t brand new to antiracism work, but it is necessary and I found it mostly interesting to read. Each section starts with a couple of quotes from white students she taught - they are responses to questions she asks at the start of the term, and the quotes are startling both in their lack of depth and their similarity to each other. Nearly without fail, the students grew up in segregated all-white neighborhoods, with parents who taught them “everyone is equal.” They all say they aren’t racist, and that racism doesn’t play a role in their lives.
  
  Mmm hmm.
  
  It’s hard to write a review without rewriting each of the chapters, because they build upon each other well. Dr. DiAngelo doesn’t even get to defining race or racism until a third of the way through the book, but it works. She eases readers in with examples of sexism, which she likely thinks white people are more willing to accept as a reality. Each chapter builds upon what she introduces in the previous one, making it easier to bring all the components together.
  
  Some chapters really stand out, including the one on intersecting identities using class as an example. Ms. DiAngelo grew up poor, and so is well-positioned to offer rejection of the idea that ‘it’s really class, not race, that matters.’
  
  The final chapters, however, are what I found to be the most interesting. Discussions about white fragility, white narratives that deny racism (and appropriate ways to shut them down), the real problem with repeating certain stories, and the danger of white silence are all relevant to those of us who are white and invested in antiracism work. You will cringe because you or people you love will have said or done most or all of these things, but Dr. DiAngelo wants you to get beyond the defensiveness that comes from a place where white people act like being called racist is worse than doing something racist.
  
  One caveat - if you are someone who is white but grew up in a home where racism was discussed in depth (as literally one of my white friends was), and grew up with and still have many cross-racial relationships, this might not give you what you need to take your antiracism work to the next level.
• 
  Laurie

  This book took me a very long time to read, because I wanted to memorize every bit of it. My copy is underlined with numerous margin notes, and I posted excerpts on Facebook on a regular basis. I learned SO MUCH from reading this book. Any white person interested in doing their part to resist the culture of white supremacy will find this book a fabulous resource. I couldn't recommend it higher.
• 
  Tim Sergeant

  This wasn't a particularly quick or easy read, but it was definitely worthwhile.
  
  Some things that I really liked:
  
  * The book is designed for readers who (like me!) haven't thought deeply about racism in this way before. It makes really clear definition of racism very early on, then calls back to that very directly (in big boxes saying 'Remember!') throughout the remainder of the book. This hammers home the core idea really effectively.
  
  * The book talks a lot about "socialization", which I've encountered previously (eg, "Delusions of Gender"), but it avoids entirely shifting the blame off the individual and onto society as a whole. To that end, it gives concrete suggestions for antiracist practice, and suggests plenty of further reading.
  
  * Even though it's written in an American context for an American audience, it's very easy to draw parallels to Australia (especially since chapter 15, "Specific racial groups", gives examples of how to do that)
• 
  gwayle

  This book blew. my. mind. It is a powerful primer on racism and antiracist practice. It offers a clear and concise framework from which to think about these issues. It arms you with knowledge and advice. I don't often say this, but this should be required reading.
  
  Here is a fraction of what I learned:
  
  —Because white people don't feel the effects of their race, they are tricked into thinking we live in a post-race and post-racism society. Perhaps they will concede that things aren't perfect for people of color, but they'll definitely point out that things are not as bad as they used to be. Yes, a handful of individual people of color have broken glass ceilings, and yes, slavery in its historic form has long been abolished, but the numbers clearly show that disparities in education, in the justice system, and in wages have gotten worse since the Civil Rights era. WORSE. We are more segregated and less equal now than we were at the start of integration. Segregation is not random and it is not benign. If, like many white people, you went to largely white schools and lived in largely white neighborhoods, this was no accident of fate.
  
  —In America we are deeply wedded to notions of individualism and meritocracy, and these insidious ideologies keep racism firmly in place. We think, "people just need to pick themselves up and work hard to enjoy the American dream." This totally disregards centuries of policies that have benefited white people and hurt people of color, centuries that have resulted in inherited wealth, attitudes, policies, and networks that favor white people and white people's access to resources. Amazingly, white people resent people of color for policies put in place to level this wildly uneven playing field, hotly denying that they have any legs up, so why should people of color have them.
  
  —We conceive of racism as individual malicious acts by "bad" people, and we are thereby able to distance ourselves from it. But racism is better thought of as systemic oppression that on the whole advantages one demographic over another. Yes, white people may suffer from discrimination on a temporary, contextual basis (as well as be oppressed in other ways—class, gender, etc.), but on the whole, with regards to race, they are undeniably the privileged group. When thinking of privilege, it is more helpful to think of it as a lack of struggle rather than something that is handed to you. Of course some white people have worked very hard for what they have, but in terms of race, they always had the wind at their backs. White people are very resistant to these ideas because it forces them to see themselves as part of a larger, advantaged demographic. They are offended by the notion that they are privileged or that they themselves participate in racism. They demand to be seen and judged as individuals, denying all history and sociology and psychology. The irony is how often these insisters see others as manifestations of their racial group (e.g., black men are more prone to violence; Asians are bad drivers; Latin men are highly sexualized; etc.).
  
  —Racial stereotypes are as pernicious and damaging as they are pervasive. And stereotypes do not exist for a reason. They are unfair, unmerited projections onto an entire group. I don't care who you are, you hold racial prejudices and you discriminate, many times in ways you are not even conscious of. Yes, this holds true for people of color as well, but the difference is that when it comes to institutions and institutional power, the numbers clearly show that white people have more ready access to resources than people of color. If you look at the racial makeup of people in positions of power (be it elected officials and judges or teachers and social service workers), they are disproportionally white in contrast to the larger population. However well intentioned these people in power may be, their racial prejudices and discriminations on average play out in predictable ways that benefit white people and hurt people of color, for example the administering of tougher punishments for similar offenses.
  
  —Prejudice (an emotion unrelated to reality) fuels discrimination (an action). Hatred fuels racial violence, but that is the extreme end of the spectrum. Discomfort, for example, fuels avoidance. We are taught in myriad subtle ways that people of color are not as important, not as interesting, not as worthy or desirable. This indifference fuels segregation. Discrimination can also manifest itself as favoring certain people based on your prejudice about their group. This runs the gamut of deferring to people we see as our superiors to treating as individuals those we see as "normal."
  
  —Denial maintains the status quo. Silence maintains the status quo. Inaction maintains the status quo. Guilt and evasion maintain the status quo. The status quo is racism. If you are white, the status quo benefits you and hurts people of color.
  
  —We (white people) need to educate ourselves. We need to read and learn about other cultures and about our history and for god's sake, we need to listen. We need to shut the fuck up about reverse racism, which doesn't exist (discrimination might, but not racism in the sense of institutionally backed oppression). We need to shut the fuck up about how colorblind we are and stop yapping away about how much less of a racist we are that that other guy over there. We need to disrupt racism, even when—especially when—we feel uncomfortable doing so with our white peers. We need to form meaningful cross-racial relationships. We need to be allies. We need to acknowledge our privilege. We need to educate our kids. We need to not tokenize and objectify and exoticize people of color. We need to notice when people of color aren't at the table, aren't in the room, aren't in the discussion, aren't in our neighborhoods, aren't represented, aren't our friends or our coworkers or the writers we read or the actors we watch.
  
  —And finally, we did not ask to be born into this system. We are not bad people for absorbing all of this prejudice. But privilege comes with responsibility. It is our responsibility to do what we can to fight this. It won't be easy or comfortable or graceful. But we have to try. Because this should make us sick to our stomachs.
• 
  Amanda Workman

  I have learned an extraordinary amount from this book. We must stop saying we don’t see color or that race doesn’t matter when that in itself is a privilege and proves that it in fact does. This is a great first read to help me on the journey of being anti-racist.
  Here’s were we go now:
  1. We must “think intentionally and strategically about what we are doing and how that functions to either maintain or reinforce racism.”
  2. We have to continually educate ourselves and
  3. Most importantly build cross-racial relationships.
  4. Read a book from a person of color’s perspective.
• 
  Nicole

  Provocative and well-written. Holds your hand through the basics, but chapters 11 on will cause the best kind of disquiet. What to do about the fact that people who should read this book most are the same ones that think they don't need it?
• 
  Lauren

  The summary: "My inability as a white person to see or understand racism is unrelated to its reality." The very best resource I've found to examine and unpack whiteness.
• 
  Alex Johnson

  This book isn't easy to read, and it shouldn't be as a white person. DiAngelo provides a framework to enable white people to see racism as pervasive and interwoven throughout all aspects of our lives. She challenges her readers to reflect on how whiteness and white priviledge have affected their lives and to begin to dismantle this internalized dominance and passive white silence. I got frustrated halfway through reading this, both a little overwhelmed (hello, being a white person who is encouraged not to think about race) and wanting a little active direction. DiAngelo resists this want to jump to immediate conclusions and instead insists that white people do the work of reflecting on their own racism, seeking out leadership from people of color, taking crucile feedback about their racism from people of color, and taking steps to interrupt racism, especially with other white people, whenever we can. I think I may have read this too fast to completely absorb all the information and will probably have to revisit this book again. A tough and challenging but necessary read.
• 
  Holly

  Wow.
  
  Books can take a long time to read for a number of different reasons. This one took me a long time because its message was so strong and thought-provoking.
  
  I am very glad for the day this book came across my desk. I realised after reading only a small way in, how important I thought it was for (particularly white) people to understand the issues discussed in it. So I tracked down and bought a copy (a tricky and expensive endeavour), because I hope to convince my friends to borrow and read it too.
  
  I do believe it really encourages more critical thinking, awareness, and humility from whites if we can just pay attention and cease being so defensive.
  
  From all the references cited and the bibliography given, there are many excellent works in written and audiovisual media on this subject, and I shall seek out more of them.
• 
  Ivana

  Alternatively titled (for me, at least): How to Talk to White People About Racism
  
  Really didn’t wanna read this, but unfortunately I felt like I needed to given where I work and the people that surround me o. O
  
  Got some great talking points next time people come at me with ignorant bullshit. More white people should read this but probably won’t because white fragility.
• 
  Brian

  This book is phenomenal, one of the most helpful books I have ever read. I learned so much about racism, about the multitude of ways people think about race and racism, and about myself. Highly recommended.
• 
  Callie

  This is a must read book. Racism in America 101. This is one to come back to again.
• 
  Edgar

  Rassismus gibt es immer noch. Der Mensch hat noch nie (von gewissen religiösen Gruppierungen abgesehen) in seiner Geschichte pauschal alle Menschen mit Liebe aufgenommen, sondern sich immer an kleinen Einheiten orientiert, an der Sippe, der Familie, dem Clan. Wie man auch immer die identitätsstiftende Einheit benennt und herleitet, alle Menschen gehören zwangsläufig nicht dazu.
  
  Was als evolutionäre Überlebenstechnik ein Erfolgsmodell war, weil es Entscheidungszeiten verkürzte, ist in heutiger Zeit gesellschaftlich nicht mehr akzeptiert. Worauf Menschen in der Vergangenheit stolz waren, ist heute verhasst. Sowas gibt es, das Leben besteht aus laufender Anpassung.
  
  Rassismus tötet, während der BLM-Unruhen in den Staaten im vergangenen Jahr sind eine ganze Reihe von Weißen allein deshalb getötet worden, weil sie zur falschen Zeit am falschen Ort waren, sie wurden gelyncht, allein weil sie Weiße waren. Und als sich ein Ehepaar mit Waffengewalt vor dem herannahenden (tatsächlichen oder vermeintlichen) Mob schützten, wurden sie in die Öffentlichkeit gezerrt. Das sollte uns doch wirklich einen Friedensnobelpreis wert sein!
  
  Rassismus ist die Definition einer Gruppe auf der Basis rassischer Merkmale und der Zuweisung negativer Eigenschaften oder Diskriminierung auf der Basis dieser vermeintlichen negativen Gruppeneigenschaften.
  
  Dies ist das Grundprinzip, das auch hinter den Heilslehren der Vordenkerin des aggressivsten aktuellen Rassismus steht, den es zurzeit gibt, nämlich Robin DiAngelos Whiteness-Lehren. Die Lehren DiAngelos (eine Weiße übrigens) stehen auf einer Ebene mit dem KuKluxKlan und sollten ebenso verfolgt und sanktioniert werden. Nun hat man im Vorwege die allgemeine Ansicht etabliert, dass es keinen Rassismus gegenüber Weißen gebe, und auf diese Weise vorübergehend Verfolgung vermieden. Das ist natürlich Unsinn.
  
  Momentan ist Whiteness jedoch in aller Munde. In einer Welle aktuellen psychotischen Selbsthasses unterwerfen sich Tausende Firmen in den Staaten aus vermeintlich menschenfreundlichen Gründen diesen Lehren und verpflichten ihre Mitarbeiter dazu, daran zu arbeiten, "weniger weiß" zu sein. Coca-Cola ist diese Woche aus genau diesem Grunde in die Schlagzeilen geraten. Via LinkedIn Learning hat man verpflichtende Fortbildung für Mitarbeiter eingeführt und versucht nun, nachdem es bekannt wurde, sich mit der dem Thema innenwohnenden Unehrlichkeit rauszuwinden.
  
  Was heißt es nach DiAngelo, weiß zu sein? (Achtung, purer Rassismus!)
  
  Weiß zu sein, bedeutet
  
  - unterdrückend zu sein,
  - arrogant zu sein,
  - (selbst)sicher zu sein,
  - defensiv zu sein,
  - ignorant zu sein,
  - unbescheiden zu sein,
  - nicht zuzuhören,
  - nicht zu glauben,
  - Apathie zu nutzen,
  - weiße Solidarität auszuüben.
  
  Weniger weiß zu sein, bedeutet also, diese vermeintlichen Eigenschaften der Weißen bei sich zu reduzieren. Und wer würde dem nicht zustimmen, wenn erst einmal die unzutreffende Basis akzeptiert ist?
  
  Mich erinnern die Konzepte von DiAngelo stark an die Techniken des Revanchismus und Revisionismus mit dem Zwecke der Selbstunterwerfung der weißen Rasse. Demgegenüber erscheint selbst die (völlig hirnverbrannte) Bewegung, Rasse als soziales Konstrukt zu negieren und wegzudefinieren, noch als Leuchtstern des Rationalismus!
  
  Fazit: Kann nicht nur weg, sondern ist ausgesprochen schädlich.
• 
  Will Ejzak

  If, back when I was in high school, the only thing I'd been required to do was read this book and discuss it with my classmates, I would've gotten a much better education than the one I received. This isn't hyperbole. Any institution that doesn't actively teach racial literacy is failing its students, regardless of test scores. If school curricula weren't politically neutered, racial literacy and intersectionality would be a four-year core class, regardless of the composition of the student body.
  
  I've taught for my whole career in profoundly segregated spaces because the vast majority of spaces in this country are profoundly segregated. But WHY is this country segregated, and more importantly, what are the innumerable consequences of this fact? Thanks to the education system, most kids--and most adults--can only answer these questions in ways that are shallow, simplistic, and mostly wrong. White schools see segregated, homogeneous communities as permission to ignore race. Consequently, people have to learn the way I'm learning: the sheer dumb luck of someone thrusting this book into my hand and saying, "read this." This is not a reliable antiracist system. I'm just a handful of books into my own racial literacy education, and I'm 27 years old. Every book I've read on the subject I've read since graduating from college.
  
  What Does It Mean to Be White? SHOULD be taught in suburban schools--not all at once but in small, accessible, non-boring segments--because it's really long and sort of dry and no one would get through it otherwise. It's basically a textbook, but I mean that with none of the negative connotations it usually implies (textbooks are mostly terrible). I mean that it's a giant compendium of absolutely essential information. In a white suburban classroom, this book could be enormously powerful.
  
  The problem is that I can't hardwire the contents of this book into my brain and keep it at the forefront of my consciousness forever. I'll finish with a DiAngelo quote: "Nothing 'out there' in dominant society will support you in sustaining this awareness. In fact, just the opposite will occur, as dominant forces pressure you into forgetting, not noticing, denying, maintaining white solidarity, and protecting your investments in racism. We have to find ways to support ourselves to keep going, despite the powerful forces of comfort in the status quo."
• 
  Abby

  “I teach in an education program that is 97% white, and it is rare for me to have any students of color in my classes. Thus, this typical insistence that race doesn’t matter comes from white students sitting in an all-white classroom, who grew up in primarily white neighborhoods and attended primarily white schools, and are currently being taught by a virtually all-white faculty (including me). These racial realities testify to a society separated by race. Yet how do so many white people manage to position race as meaningless, even as we live, work, study, love, and play in racial separation?”
  
  Extremely powerful and eye-opening. This should be required reading for all white Americans. What tremendous progress could be made if we could authentically and humbly reckon with all of the ways that we support the system of white supremacy in our country--and then work to dismantle it, following the lead of people of color. I can't get this book out of my head, and I want to talk about it with every white person I know (which, as DiAngelo surmises, accounts for the vast majority of the people I know). Time to wake up, fellow whites. Time to acknowledge our complicity in perpetuating centuries of racism.
  
  “Remember: The racial status quo is not neutral; it is racist. Therefore, anything that works to maintain the status quo rather than challenge it maintains racism. Because whites are usually most comfortable not talking about race, remaining silent when given the opportunity to discuss race supports the status quo.”
• 
  Michelle

  How can I eloquently put into words what this book has done for me? My entire life, I have touted myself as a strong and relentless ally in the face of racism and oppression.
  
  Damn, how wrong I was.
  
  Dr. DiAngelo opened my eyes to the lens through which I’ve grown up seeing the world. I didn’t realize how much I needed this book. In order to grow and develop racial literacy, I needed to first understand the WHY behind the historical white perspective and how I could overcome my learned experience to become a better ally.
  
  For anyone who has ever wondered how to step out of the shadows and do the work to fight racism and oppression, this is the book for you. It’s a perfect jumping off point to begin deeper learning and certainly should be followed up with books by people of color and meaningful conversations.
  
  I am so thankful for the book club that I’m a part of, and the fact that this book was our first pick. As luck would have it, we were graced with the author's presence at our final virtual meeting about the book!! Conversing with Dr. DiAngelo was incredibly humbling and helped me to recognize that the antiracism journey is a lifelong commitment.
  
  I’m here for it.
• 
  Bonnie

  If you teach, you must read this book. Robin DiAngelo notes that most individuals who enter teacher education are white, came from white neighborhoods and were educated in white schools by white teachers. Increasingly, they teach a diverse plethora of students but have no concept how to talk about race in a productive manner. This book is the product of years of antiracist work on her part.
  
  As a white woman who has for the last several years identified as an ally, I found this book helpful and instructive. I'm anxious about saying "the wrong thing," and so sometimes I forget just to engage at a personal level at all. DiAngelo helpfully reminded me that I'm not always going to get it right, and that when I do receive corrective feedback, I'll (hopefully) be embarrassed for messing up. But it's better than not trying. I recommend this book if you are seeking to improve your allyship or if you are looking to be an ally in the first place.
• 
  Liz

  In the wake of everything that's happened recently with BLM and Native Lives Matter, I read this book as a way to find more talking (and listening) points to people who are adamantly holding onto racist ideology -- and as a way of re-awakening my own self-awareness about my white privilege. I loved that this book was easy to read, with helpful "remember..." sections parsed out in each chapter highlighting especially important information, and the type of conclusions in each chapter that anyone who has tried desperately to cram information has come to love -- meaning conclusions that could be read as a way of saying, "Oh man, I just had this conversation, and it didn't go as well as I'd have liked, let me review what DiAngelo had to say about that..."
• 
  Don

  There is so much here there is no way for me to summarize but only validate the importance of reading this if you are white and working in equity, diversity and inclusion.
  
  Great explanation of white privilege, white silence, and intersectionality.
  
  If you are going into racial equity discussions, the section “A Note on White Silence” would help with understanding ensuing conversations and getting them started in the first place.
  
  Best fundamental takeaway for me...”white people are not socialized to see they are a race but that they are the norm. Others are socialized to see they are races.” Paraphrasing there.
  
  Had to interlibrary loan this book. Thank you Indiana University Libraries.
• 
  Bill Thorness

  I read this for a discussion group related to a nonprofit board on which I serve, and the combination of the book and the group provided an excellent learning experience. Foremost, I learned the language of systemic racism, so now I feel that I can follow along when the issues are discussed. Certainly I was challenged about my own views and actions, which have ranged from neglect to cluelessness to, yes, racist acts. Having read this book and discussed it, I feel that I can own my history of shortcomings. I've just begun to become an anti-racist, and this book helped me put my feet on that road.
• 
  Erika

  This book is heady, and I read it at a time when I didn't have a whole lot of extra bandwidth due to the annual cycle of my job. That's one of the main reasons it took me so long to get through. Also, though, it's instructional and requires the reader to think and assess their role in a racist society. So that, if done at all appropriately, takes brain power, too. I think this should be required reading for anyone wishing to understand more clearly the racial dynamics that exist in our country, and that might well be invisible for many of us who are white.
• 
  hawk

  (retrospective review)
  this book seemed good when I read it... but I can't remember much of it now. maybe it was something I wanted/needed to read at the time... but that was about a decade ago now, and I've found more relevant and nuanced reading since.
  I remember there was something in the small chapter/section at the end about having mixed racialised/cultural heritage that really stood out/was important to me at the time... but on finding it again and rereading it, was disappointing/a fraction of what I remembered it being.
• 
  Bruce

  As a white man, I have had the luxury and privilege of not having to think about race or understand how it has shaped my life; it is something that "others" have. This book isn't a quick read, but it is so important in understanding what it means to be white in a society that pretends that race doesn't matter, but is deeply divided by race. If you are white and you recognize that racism is alive and well, this book is a critical one to read.
• 
  Jae Ell

  i will do better
  i will listen
  i will seek support
  I will no longer be a member of white solidarity
  i will take action
  i will give support
  
  i will ...
  iWill...
  i WILL...
  
  I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY❗️
• 
  soda

  If I could actually roll my eyes hard enough I would. robin, STFU
• 
  Fate's Lady

  This is very, very much "whiteness 101". If you're just getting started with learning about racial tension and oppression, this is a good book for you. It even includes questions at the end of each chapter to prompt thought or discussion. For someone who has been actively learning these things, it's going to be extremely basic. I'm halfway through and this isn't just review, it's review of stuff I've learned faces in the past now. It's also amazingly expensive and only available in paperback.