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

[Anonymous]

When is the sequel, Black Fragility, coming out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having read it, I'd describe it as a book that's making an argument about the ways in which power has been racially distributed -- and which also advocates for certain ways to deal with the distribution that it's claiming.

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.

Cue folks jumping on me and calling me uneducated. To them, I say: DiAngelo's work is not broadly respected among serious academics, including many (POC, if it matters) colleagues whose work focuses on the intersection of race and power in the United States.

What I know of the book, I read from a review by a Black male, and he said it was condescending to people of color, and said something along the lines that it assumed that all white people were somewhat racist. However, the review was written by a conservative, so it may not have been a biased synopsis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What school district? I have a guess, just want to see if I'm right. I don't work there anymore but I'm basing my guess on what the superintendent had the staff reading previous years.

PWCS

[Anonymous]

Yea okay just give her two teacher training days to read it and problem solved. Make it Monday and and Friday each week please so they have enough time to read it. Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone actually read "required reading" for the workplace?

about

Yes, we have a book study each year (usually regarding teaching) and have to have discussion about it a few times a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Are you kidding? I'm a teacher. Of course they don't give us paid time to read it. We have to do it on our own time like most other things we are required to do.

[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.

That's what I was thinking. The title does sound somewhat inflamatory.

[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.

Jews aren't white.

[Anonymous]

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

You bet it is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

If a book is such that critical discussion of it is bound to be inflammatory, then that suggests the book should not be assigned in the workplace, don’t you think?

yes?

Inflammatory to whom? I am just wondering whose feelings were are trying to protect here.

I'm guessing your black and brown co workers deal with what they would consider inflammatory statements all the time.

To white people. Isn't that pretty obvious?

[Anonymous]

Look at it this way: chances are a huge number of your students and their parents have read it and will be throwing stuff at you from the book. It is influencing large numbers of people. Reading it yourself allows you to know what the heck they are talking about. Reading it now allows you to say yes I have read it, and it allows you to have already processed thoughtful, understanding responses based on your personal reaction to the book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The book will only be inflammatory because some people will not like the truths they hear. It challenges you to understand your implicit biases, or contributions to allowing discriminatory systems to continue. It is hard to hear. And, while I didn't necessarily agree with everything, it was quite eye opening.

If you're turned off by the title (I was too), you are someone who should read it.

If you think hearing what she has to say (noted above) is "offensive" or "inflammatory", you DEFINITELY should read the book. It talks about that defense mechanism quite effectively.

Since when do we just bury our heads in the sand b/c we may not like something? Quit being a baby and give it a read before you start complaining. Geez.

Do you not see the problem with this? What if a white teacher doesn't accept it as truth and says it during the book discussion? How well do you thing that will go over. White teachers will have no choice but to act like they are totally on board with the message even if they feel differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are pretty fragile if you can't even skim the book OP.
Just don't read it if you don't want to. I'm sure plenty of co-workers won't read any book because they feel they don't have the time.

What school system is this, by the way? How do we know you are not just a troll trying to stir things up?

Who said I wasn't willing to read it? I'm just wondering if it's appropriate for the division to make it required reading for the teachers (and require us to meet and discuss it)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The book will only be inflammatory because some people will not like the truths they hear. It challenges you to understand your implicit biases, or contributions to allowing discriminatory systems to continue. It is hard to hear. And, while I didn't necessarily agree with everything, it was quite eye opening.

If you're turned off by the title (I was too), you are someone who should read it.

If you think hearing what she has to say (noted above) is "offensive" or "inflammatory", you DEFINITELY should read the book. It talks about that defense mechanism quite effectively.

Since when do we just bury our heads in the sand b/c we may not like something? Quit being a baby and give it a read before you start complaining. Geez.

Do you not see the problem with this? What if a white teacher doesn't accept it as truth and says it during the book discussion? How well do you thing that will go over. White teachers will have no choice but to act like they are totally on board with the message even if they feel differently.

100% this. My company is having an “Unconscious bias” training next month, complete with a team discussion afterwards. As if I’m going to say anything contrary to the company line in there. Mouth shut, lots of nodding, and I’ll be saving my eye-rolls for the end of the work day when my Zoom is turned off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at it this way: chances are a huge number of your students and their parents have read it and will be throwing stuff at you from the book. It is influencing large numbers of people. Reading it yourself allows you to know what the heck they are talking about. Reading it now allows you to say yes I have read it, and it allows you to have already processed thoughtful, understanding responses based on your personal reaction to the book.

What stuff from the book will parents be throwing at me?