Ketutar Jensen answers “Why is the term 'White Fragility' is not...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism:

Why is the term 'White Fragility' is not equally as offensive and unjust as a coloured person being accused of 'playing the race card' or 'victim card?' The defensive moves include: 'anger, fear, guilt, argumentation and silence (The whimsical contradiction of the last two is staggering) What is your average, non-racist white person to do when they are accused of being racist? I'm not white nor am I black.

Ketutar Jensen Well... in my mind when we talk about "white fragility", we are talking about a thing that exists. Just like "white privilege". One can exchange the "…moreWell... in my mind when we talk about "white fragility", we are talking about a thing that exists. Just like "white privilege". One can exchange the "white" to any other group of people. I would say there is "fragility" in all groups of people, just as there is "privilege". I don't find either of those terms in any way offensive or racist.

When we talk about people playing a card - again, anyone can do that - we are talking about flawed argumentation. If the person really IS "playing a card", then it's just right to confront this, but there are people who will accuse people of "playing cards" even when they are bringing up real issues. One could say they are "playing the playing a card card". And when that happens, it is racist (or what ever card is being accused of having been played).

"The defensive moves" you list are examples of how some people react. No-one is saying they are all exhibited at the same time by the same people. That means, that some people get angry, some people get afraid, some feel guilty, some feel other things. Some react by arguing about things, some react with silence. Some people do other things.

I don't think "whimsical" means what you seem to think it means.

What is your average, non-racist white person to do when they are accused of being racist?
What anyone should do when they are accused of things.
Are you guilty? Then take responsibility, apologize, try to set things right and stop doing wrong.
Are you innocent? Then ignore the accusation.
You think you aren't racist, but people keep accusing you of it? Ask specific examples of why they think you are racist. Read books like this to find out how things you feel are totally ok and harmless, are actually harming others.

One thing to do is to admit that there is racism in the world. That there is such a thing as "white privilege". (Sucks when one is white, but I kind of think it sucks more not being white...). That I am privileged in ways I can't even start to imagine just because I happened to be born in Europe to generations of white people. That I can't even imagine what it is like living without this privilege that to me is self-evident. That the mere fact that I see all the people are "equal" is in itself racist, because it implies that non-white people's struggle doesn't really matter.

It's not a question of guilt, shame and blame, it's a question of listening to people, acknowledging people, believing people when they tell about themselves, their lives and experiences, and admitting that I don't know someone else's reality. (less)

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