While we are all familiar with the lives of prominent Black civil rights leaders, few of us have a sense of what is entailed in developing a White anti-racist identity. Few of us can name the White activists who joined the struggle against discrimination, let alone understand the complexities, stresses and contradictions of doing this work while benefiting from the privileges they enjoyed as Whites. This book fills that gap by vividly presenting – in their own words – the personal stories, experiences and reflections of fifteen prominent White anti-racists. They recount the circumstances that led them to undertake this work, describe key moments and insights along their journeys, and frankly admit their continuing lapses and mistakes. They make it clear that confronting oppression (including their own prejudices) – whether about race, sexual orientation, ability or other differences – is a lifelong process of learning. The chapters in this book are full of inspirational and lesson-rich stories about the expanding awareness of White social justice advocates and activists who grappled with their White privilege and their early socialization and decided to work against structural injustice and personal prejudice. The authors are also self-critical, questioning their motivations and commitments, and acknowledging that – as Whites and possessors of other privileged identities – they continue to benefit from White privilege even as they work against it.This is an eye-opening book for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be White and the reality of what is involved in becoming a White anti-racist and social justice advocate; is interested in the paths taken by those who have gone before; and wants to engage reflectively and critically in this difficult and important work.Contributing AuthorsWarren J. BlumenfeldAbby L. FerberJane K. FernandesMichelle FineDiane J. GoodmanPaul C. GorskiHeather W. HackmanGary R. HowardKevin JenningsFrances E. KendallPaul KivelJames W. LoewenPeggy McIntoshJulie O’MaraAlan RabinowitzAndrea RabinowitzChristine E. Sleeter

"While we are all familiar with the lives of prominent Black civil rights leaders, few of us have a sense of what is entailed in developing a White anti-racist identity. Few of us can name the White activists who joined the struggle against discrimination, let alone understand the complexities, stresses and contradictions of doing this work while benefiting from the privileges they enjoyed as Whites. This book fills that gap by vividly presenting -- in their own words -- the personal stories, experiences and reflections of fifteen prominent White anti-racists. They recount the circumstances that led them to undertake this work, describe key moments and insights along their journeys, and frankly admit their continuing lapses and mistakes. They make it clear that confronting oppression (including their own prejudices) -- whether about race, sexual orientation, ability or other differences -- is a lifelong process of learning. The chapters in this book are full of inspirational and lesson-rich stories about the expanding awareness of White social justice advocates and activists who grappled with their White privilege and their early socialization and decided to work against structural injustice and personal prejudice. The authors are also self-critical, questioning their motivations and commitments, and acknowledging that -- as Whites and possessors of other privileged identities -- they continue to benefit from White privilege even as they work against it. This is an eye-opening book for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be White and the reality of what is involved in becoming a White anti-racist and social justice advocate; is interested in the paths taken by those who have gone before; and wants to engage reflectively and critically in this difficult and important work."--Publisher's description

The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality. In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.

"A no-nonsense call to action for all those willing to confront their complicity, Good White Racist? promises 'This is going to be hard, and you are going to be uncomfortable. But it will be worth it.'" – Foreword Reviews \ good · white · racist \ noun A well-intentioned person of European descent who is nonetheless complicit in a culture of systemic racism A white person who would rather stay comfortable than do the work of antiracism When it comes to race, most white Americans are obsessed with two things: defending our own inherent goodness and maintaining our own comfort levels. Too often, this means white people assume that to be racist, one has to be openly hateful and willfully discriminatory—you know, a bad person. And we know we're good, Christian people, right? But you don't have to be wearing a white hood or shouting racial epithets to be complicit in America’s racist history and its ongoing systemic inequality. In Good White Racist?, Kerry Connelly exposes the ways white people participate in, benefit from, and unknowingly perpetuate racism—despite their best "good person" intentions. Good White Racist? unpacks the systems that maintain the status quo, keep white people comfortable and complicit, and perpetuate racism in the United States and elsewhere. Combining scholarly research with her trademark New Jersey snark, Connelly shows us that even though it may not be our fault or choice to participate in a racist system, we all do, and it’s our responsibility to do something about it.

Facing issues of race and privilege with a clear, compassionate gaze, this book helps teachers illuminate blind spots, overcome unintentional bias, and reach the students who need them the most.

Conversations about race can be confusing, contentious, and frightening, particularly for White people. Even just asking questions about race can be scary because we are afraid of what our questions might reveal about our ignorance or bias. Raising Race Questions invites teachers to use inquiry as a way to develop sustained engagement with challenging racial questions and to do so in community so that they learn how common their questions actually are. It lays out both a process for getting to questions that lead to growth and change, as well as a vision for where engagement with race questions might lead. Race questions are not meant to lead us into a quagmire of guilt, discomfort, or isolation. Sustained race inquiry is meant to lead to anti-racist classrooms, positive racial identities, and a restoration of the wholeness of spirit and community that racism undermines. Book Features: Case studies of expert and experienced White teachers who still have questions about race. Approaches for talking about race in the K–12 classroom. Strategies for facilitating race conversations among adults. A variety of different resources useful in the teacher inquiry groups described in the book. Research with teachers, not on teachers, including written responses from each teacher whose classroom is featured in the book. “In Raising Race Questions Ali Michael is an excavator, determined to dig into every unexplored crevice of White teachers’ experiences with race in order to unearth the complex realities of racism and schooling, and a model of reflective inquiry, willing to lay herself and her assumptions bare in service to the reader's consciousness and her own. This book grew my consciousness in multiple ways, and that is the greatest gift an author can give me.” —Paul Gorski, founder, EdChange, associate professor, George Mason University “Ali Michael has a gift for getting people talking. This must-read book captures her ‘magic’ and shares useful strategies for teachers and schools working to develop their racial proficiency. As a White teacher engaged in this work, I've watched these tools help educators support one another as they make mistakes, reflect, and grow together.” —Lynn Eckerman, Teacher, Independence Charter School, Philadelphia, PA

Which acts by educators are ''racist'' and which are ''antiracist''? How can an educator constructively discuss complex issues of race with students and colleagues? In Everyday Antiracism leading educators deal with the most challenging questions about race in school, offering invaluable and effective advice. Contributors including Beverly Daniel Tatum, Sonia Nieto, and Pedro Noguera describe concrete ways to analyze classroom interactions that may or may not be ''racial,'' deal with racial inequality and ''diversity,'' and teach to high standards across racial lines. Topics range from using racial incidents as teachable moments and responding to the ''n-word'' to valuing students' home worlds, dealing daily with achievement gaps, and helping parents fight ethnic and racial misconceptions about their children. Questions following each essay prompt readers to examine and discuss everyday issues of race and opportunity in their own classrooms and schools. For educators and parents determined to move beyond frustrations about race, Everyday Antiracism is an essential tool.