Is this inappropriate-school district requiring teachers to read White Fragility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they employ you and give you paid time to read it,.they can ask you to read anything. Why don't you read it and then decide you feel?

I agree. They should be remunerated for their time on anything work-related. I don't know enough about this book to form an opinion since I have not read it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just pretend to read it and nod along to any discussion group. Even if you do read it, there's no point in saying anything because it can be used against you, anyway.

True.

[Anonymous]

Seems like a very inflammatory book to assign Employees to read. I just read it and have a really hard time with the notion of labeling people as racist for unintended actions and for its view of white people as basically always being wrong in an exchange with POC & needing time just accept that.

[Anonymous]

I just nod and act like I'm agreeing with all the stupid policies my employer puts into place. Diversity training sessions. Nod nod. Find a book for staff to read. Nod. Send email reaching out and letting marginalized members know we support them. Nod. Nod. Now give me my 300k and leave me alone.

[Anonymous]

The backlash from all of this race baiting nonsense is going to be intense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obviously the author means White Christian people because Jewish people, even white ones, have absolutely no problem discussing racism. We experience it regularly -- some of us daily. We are acutely aware of racism against us based on nothing but our DNA for many of us who do not consider ourselves religiously Jewish, but just had one grandparent who was Jewish and so our family was sent off to death camps. And because of our own experience with racism, we are able to talk about it when we see it happening to other peoples, too. I do understand how White Christian people may have this problem, but White Jewish, White Muslim, White ____[Add minority status here] does not have this problem. We experience it firsthand.

I wish you would talk to the Jewish teachers at my school. Only one is comfortable discussing race. The others claim to be colorblind and act resentful of being asked to consider how certain policies and practices may uphold racism. Even the one who will discuss race thinks there’s zero difference between the experience of our black and brown students and his grandfather who came here as a child pre-1930s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a very inflammatory book to assign Employees to read. I just read it and have a really hard time with the notion of labeling people as racist for unintended actions and for its view of white people as basically always being wrong in an exchange with POC & needing time just accept that.

We recognize that people can do things unintentionally that marginalize women at work. We recognize that people can do things unintentionally that marginalize people with disabilities at public accommodations. We acknowledge that people can do things that unintentionally marginalize non-Christians at community gatherings. Why do you think race is different?

I can discuss the impact of someone’s actions without demonizing that person. My goal is to get the person to be aware of their behavior and hopefully change, not to induce any sort of guilt. Somehow though, certain groups have decided that making someone feel guilty for their actions is far worse than actually harming people through prejudice and structural racism.

[Anonymous]

I think there are better books on the subject (by Black authors) that have titles that would be less alarming to people who are new to the concepts. Other than that I think it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

We read it at my workplace. It’s a frustrating book in that most of it is spent saying you’re racist, you’ll never not be racist, and get over it without a real grounding of what you *should* be doing. Ok I picked myngouse because I wanted a “good school”— what should I do now? Move?

I agree with other posters that there are a lot better books out there on this. “So you want to talk about Race” is a good one

[Anonymous]

Honestly it is just BS when school systems proclaim that equity is now at the center of everything they do, force teachers to read books like White Fragility, encourage teachers and administrators to Tweet constantly about how they’ve learned to be anti-racists and allies, and yet continue to run segregated magnet programs and invest millions of dollars in expanding certain schools so kids from higher-income families won’t have to attend schools with more poor brown and black kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
If the book is required reading in preparation for a free and open discussion that can include dissent, that's fine. If the idea behind requiring you to read the book is that it presents "the truth," then, yes, that's concerning.

that sounds like a great idea for a public school district- I'm sure HR is going to have an awesome time sorting through the fall out of an open and frank discussion on race

[Anonymous]

I feel fragile about learning about white fragility!

[Anonymous]

My school is requiring it too. I've read it, and I don't think it's inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school district is requiring that all staff members read White Fragility. Not sure how I feel about this. The title is rather off-putting.

That's the POINT. Jesus. It's to challenge your thinking. Read it. I did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My school is requiring it too. I've read it, and I don't think it's inappropriate.

Why?