One of the readings I enjoyed this week was White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. She titles this article “Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism.” I think this topic fits with many of our class discussions as we have been confronted with topics that have made us feel uncomfortable. DiAngelo made it clear that in order to understand racism, she has to make the clear distinction between prejudice, discrimination, and racism. DiAngelo offers insight and breaks down the norms behind each of these words. She discusses ideology and how it helps our society make sense of social existence. As we have talked about different ideologies in our class, I liked this definition as it was something comprehendible for me.
Sociologist Joe Feagin talks about the white racial frame as a way in which whites “circulate and reinforce racial messages that position whites as superior.” This frame works hand in hand with white supremacy. Within this frame, people of color are seen as inferior. White people resist the term white supremacy, but in reality, it is the definition for the culture we all live in.
This text was important for me because it discussed racism as the social construct that it is. It dealt with the concept of being responded to as white, which is something I had never thought about. It also talked about whiteness which we have previously discussed in class: “Whiteness rests upon a foundational premise: the definition of whites as the norm or standard for human, and people of color as a deviation of that norm” (25). This quote stirred something in me, kind of made me mad because it is the truth and sometimes the truth hurts as Lizzo said LOL. It struck a chord with me because it’s crazy how everything has to do with race. Our institutions, workplaces, schools, everyday activities, etc, it all goes back to who can get a sandwich at the end of the day.