Let's Talk About It

What is whiteness?

Robin DiAngelo defines whiteness as “the specific dimensions of racism that serve to elevate white people over people of color." It is not something inherent in biology, but rather a pervasive social construction that has served as a tool of oppression for centuries. According to DiAngelo, this means that whiteness is a production of society. It is “a constellation of processes and practices rather than a discrete entity (i.e. skin color alone).” For those who identify as white, their whiteness serves to obscure reality; white people are under the impression that their perspectives are representative of the entire human experience. They are not able to see whiteness as an identity or 'state’ of being "that would or could have an impact on one’s life” (DiAngelo).

Carolyn Finney describes whiteness as a way of knowing; a process through which Americans understand the world, the effects of which go beyond white individuals. Because whiteness is an assumed norm, everything is predicated on it, even the lives of people of color. That means it's important for all people to consider how whiteness impacts and implicates them.

What is white fragility?

White fragility is a term coined by Robin DiAngelo which refers to a state of racial discomfort that often triggers defensiveness in response to the confrontation of whiteness. This defensiveness manifests in many outward, and inward, ways through emotions and behaviors. Some of these emotions include anger, fear, and guilt. Some behaviors that correlate with white fragility are argumentation, silence, and removing yourself from the situation. This racial stress that brings about the white fragility state comes from any interruption to the racial norm, that norm being not talking about race, racism, and white supremacy within society today.

Why does it make us feel uncomfortable to confront whiteness?

White people often feel discomfort when confronting the negatives of their whiteness and how it impacts society because they are either taught not to see it or see it as a positive. As we referenced above, DiAngelo explains that “racial stress results from an interruption to what is racially familiar" and because white people tend to distance themselves from communities of color (by function of things like geography, and even purposeful avoidance) they often do not have to build cognitive or affective skills necessary for conversations about race. They also may not have even had the opportunity to "develop the stamina that would allow for constructive engagement across racial divides” (DiAngelo).

Additionally, because they take up the dominant position in society, white people feel entitled to racial comfort, and "have developed unchallenged expectations to remain so” (DiAngelo). They may confuse feeling uncomfortable with feeling unsafe; it is okay to feel discomfort, it is not okay to avoid critical self-reflection to examine where your discomfort is coming from. Is this discomfort valid or does it needs to be challenged?

When you are experiencing racial discomfort, try doing a grounding exercise instead of acting on feelings of defensiveness and attacking others.

Why is it necessary that you confront your whiteness?

As you confront whiteness and white fragility, you strengthen your ability to have racial discussions. These are conversations you likely did not have growing up if you identify as a white individual. As Diangelo says, "viewing white anger, defensiveness, silence, and withdrawal in response to issues of race through the framework of white fragility may help frame the problem as an issue of stamina-building, and thereby guide our interventions accordingly." (DiAngelo). Being able to have settled and productive conversations about race is the only way we will be able to dismantle racism and white supremacy.

What's going on at Eckerd?

A predominantly white institution is not only the people on campus, and their demographics, but the culture. Putting a select few people of color into authority positions does not always create meaningful change, and sometimes these instances instead erode our ability to see our whiteness fully. Part of the privilege of whiteness is that the only people who "don’t see color" are the people who don’t have to see it. This does not mean that putting people of color into positions of power is not extremely important, but the fight doesn't end there. This is important to consider in the context of a school like Eckerd.

Student Demographics

The Recent ECOS Debate and Election

The Current is a really great resource for Eckerd students, particularly if you're interested in learning more about race and racism on campus. Here is an article about the ECOS debate and election which followed that is worth educating yourself about if you have not already.

Jay-z-easter