What Does It Mean
to Be White? Developing White Racial
Literacy
318 pages Publisher: Peter Lang Publishing Inc. (May
30, 2012) $41.95
What does it
mean to be white in a society that proclaims race meaningless yet is deeply
divided by race? In the face of pervasive racial inequality and segregation,
most whites cannot answer that question. Robin DiAngelo argues that a number of
factors make this question difficult for whites miseducation about what racism
is; ideologies such as individualism and colorblindness; defensiveness; and a
need to protect (rather than expand) our worldviews. These factors contribute
to what she terms white racial illiteracy. Speaking as a white person to other
white people, Dr. DiAngelo clearly and compellingly takes readers through an
analysis of white socialization. She describes how race shapes the lives of
white people, explains what makes racism so hard for whites to see, identifies
common white racial patterns, and speaks back to popular white narratives that
work to deny racism. Written as an accessible introduction to white identity
from an anti-racist framework, What Does It Mean To Be White? is an invaluable
resource for members of diversity and anti-racism programs and study groups and
students of sociology, psychology, education, and other disciplines.
11 Ways White America Avoids Taking Responsibility for its Racism
11 Ways White America Avoids Taking Responsibility for its Racism
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