In her 2018 book “White Fragility,” Dr. Robin DiAngelo digs into unconscious bias--and why white people are so defensive when it comes to talking about race. Now as the book returns to the top of the bestseller list--as people seek to educate themselves--we are airing an extended version of her 2018 conversation with Michel Martin. Originally aired on September 21, 2018.
Dr. Robin DiAngelo is the author of "What Does it Mean to Be White? Developing White Racial Literacy" and has been an anti-racist educator, and has heard justifications of racism by white men and women in her workshops for over two decades. This justification, which she calls “white fragility,” is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation.
