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 white people cannot answer that
question. In the second edition of this seminal text, Robin DiAngelo
reveals the factors that make this question so difficult: mis-education
about what racism is; ideologies such as individualism and
colorblindness; segregation; and the belief that to be complicit in
racism is to be an immoral person. These factors contribute to what she
terms white racial illiteracy. Speaking as a white person to other white
people, DiAngelo clearly and compellingly takes readers through an
analysis of white socialization. Weaving research, analysis, stories,
images, and familiar examples, she provides the framework needed to
develop white racial literacy. She describes how race shapes the lives
of white people, explains what makes racism so hard to see, identifies
common white racial patterns, and speaks back to popular narratives that
work to deny racism. Written as an accessible overview on 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. This revised edition features two new chapters,
including one on DiAngelo's influential concept of white fragility.
Written to be accessible both within and without academia, this revised
edition also features discussion questions, an index, and a glossary.