I am currently reading White Fragility by Robin Di Angelo, who is a white person. Her premise is that we white Americans are so “fragile” that we cannot talk about our complicity in the racial strife that is raising its ugly head once more.
I sadly read about a black man who, when going for walks in his own neighborhood, takes one of his daughters and their dog with him to make himself seem less threatening to those “fragile whites” who fear him, a black man. That is “white fragility.”
I must confess here that as a white man those fears enter my head, but much less than they have in the past. It is impossible for me to completely remove those thoughts from my head, for I was raised in a white family by white institutions. It is just second nature to me, but that does not mean I cannot confront what lies within me, and confess that to people of color. Actually, that is the best place to start because our confessing of our “white fragility” makes it our problem, not their problem. So toughen up my “fragile” friends, listen and love like you never have before.
A friend of mine posted on Facebook that he wants to start a movement for white men to begin confessing their complicity in racism, their “white fragility.” While I agree that confession is good for the soul, a better step is to take action. I took action by beginning a discussion on race relations right here in Mayfield between First and Second Christian Church. In a loving setting we found ways to ask the hard questions and to hear the hard answers.
That led me to join the Antiracism Pro-Reconciliation team for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kentucky. Now I find myself leading the local Branch of the NAACP as the President. As a white man, I am humbled and honored that the Mayfield Graves County Branch elected me to be their leader. While it may seem very strange for a white man to be in leadership of a black organization, I have learned that the NAACP was started by whites and blacks in 1909. And while I provide the organizational leadership, my most important action must always be to listen and learn about the issues that African Americans and other people of color deal with daily that I have never experienced for myself. And then to use that to confront my own white fragility.
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Written by Dr. Bruce W. Dobyns, Branch #3101 President, Mayfield / Graves County NAACP