Robin DiAngelo (2018), <White fragility: Why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism>, Beacon Press 

In recent years, a series of events from #blacklivesmatter to #stopasianhate have forced us to look at the issue of racism more seriously. In her New York Times best-selling book "White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Race", Dr. DiAngelo, a professor of multicultural education at Westfield State University, further defines her notion of white fragility and explains why she considers white fragility, whether intentionally or unintentionally, contributes to the formation of racist culture and society.

DiAngelo describes the term as a range of defensive behaviors among white people when their views and beliefs about race and racism are challenged because many white people do not experience the same cruel reality and racial discomfort that non-white peoples encounter daily thus they will have difficulty responding to edgy discussions regarding these issues. She also talks about how institutional racism is embedded in many of the organizations in our society: the media, banks, corporations, and governments, etc., and how these institutions and powerful people can promote equal opportunity and reverse discrimination and prejudice in society. Despite some arguable viewpoints and mixed opinions to her book, I personally find myself cannot agree more with her viewpoint that we are all socialized into a racist system because we are all shaped by the environment in which we are born and raised that directly forms our sets of values and beliefs. However, I also believe that we have the right to listen openly to ideas that are different from our own and to do the right things. Even white is one color itself but regardless of who you are, I am confident that this book will not just make you think, hardly even, but also take you through a complex and profound emotional journey of very intricate topics including racial disequilibrium, discrimination, institutional racism, white supremacy, social justice, underlying ideologies, individualism, etc. This worth-reading book will give you more multidimensional views of white fragility and the reality of racism-related issues in the world today.

Highly recommend!

2021년 다양성 관련 도서 추천사 우수작, 국제학과 대학원생 Anh Van NGUYEN