{"id":17439,"date":"2020-11-11T13:58:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T17:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=17439"},"modified":"2020-11-13T14:10:47","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T18:10:47","slug":"criticism-of-white-fragility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/criticism-of-white-fragility\/","title":{"rendered":"Criticism of White Fragility: How Do We Fix It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is a criticism of white fragility? How can you use the white fragility critique to get to racial healing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The criticism of white fragility is that it keeps from addressing structural racism<\/a>. Instead of responding with more fragility, you have to consider the merits of the white fragility critique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to better understanding the criticism of white fragility and how to move towards racial healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Criticism of White Fragility<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The work of recognizing and shedding (as much as possible) one\u2019s racist conditioning as a white person can be extremely difficult. But it is important to do if you\u2019re serious about your professed opposition to racism. You cannot tackle systemic racism<\/a> if you cannot identify and come to terms with the ways in which <\/strong>you <\/em><\/strong>unfairly benefit from and perpetuate it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because racism is a structural phenomenon and not <\/em>an individual character trait, there is no need to get defensive when one\u2019s own racially problematic behavior is brought to light. Moreover, because of your dominant position within the racial hierarchy<\/a>, the feedback you are receiving poses no threat to you. If you do <\/em>feel threatened, you must work on fortifying your own racial stamina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confronting this criticism of white fragility may be challenging because you may respond with more defensiveness. Instead of retreating into fragility, look at the feedback, especially when it comes from a person of color, as an opportunity to learn and grow. Your response shouldn\u2019t be, \u201cHow dare you!\u201d It should instead be, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racial healing can only begin when white people shed their reflexive defensiveness and build greater capacity to be uncomfortable<\/a> with examinations of their own privilege <\/strong>and their contributions to racist power structures. White people must discard the myth that their white racial identity doesn\u2019t exist and accept the truth that it powerfully shapes how they view the world and their role in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming more authentic in one\u2019s attitudes toward race and seeking knowledge is the beginning of change, whether that comes from forging more genuine cross-racial relationships or getting involved in anti-racist groups. The discomfort is not incidental\u2014it is key to growth and to uncovering one\u2019s inevitable racial blind spots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process of disrupting racism, after all, involves acknowledging one\u2019s unfair benefits and advantages as a white person and then working to cede those privileges. It\u2019s not easy\u2014racism is a system from which all white people benefit. If anti-racism entailed zero sacrifice on the part of whites, racism would be far easier to overcome. That difficulty underscores the criticism of white fragility because it is easier to be deterred by the challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The consequences of racism for people of color are very real and very dire. White people have a moral responsibility to educate themselves and take the initiative to disrupt and combat racism wherever they see it.<\/strong> That’s a criticism of white fragility because it keeps perpetuating the system of racism. Some concrete ways to get involved with anti-racism include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n