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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lol I can't believe you idiots are actually trying to defend this book

If the book said all black people are racist

and white people can't be racist

would you tolerate that,,, no.... so how the f can you tolerate it in reverse

This is why there have millions of flags sold this month: TRUMP 2020. Stop the Bullshit.

I see then around - on homes, on boats, on cycles, on cars. I see Biden signs too, but the new trump flag. If this BS keeps up their will be a big wake up call.

Agreed. While I actually think Trump will lose the election, I believe it will be closer than most think (and much closer than it should be FFS). The Democrats will likely eek out a narrow win over quite possibly the weakest candidate of all time. But that narrow victory will cost them for generations to come.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does everyone freak out so much about being referred to as racist? I'm a white person and I seriously don't get this. There is so much "OMG this book is offensive because it says I'm racist" or "OMG that person suggested that I'm racist just because I'm white, how dare they?"

Seriously, what's the big deal? We all pick up a ton of racism just from living in a society that had racism baked in for centuries, and so virtually all white people are racist to some degree or another. Pointing out that you're probably racist is just saying, "Hey, you're probably contributing in some way to making life harder for people of color, and almost all other white people are too. Can you please pay some attention to how that's happening and try to improve?" It seems like the reaction should be, "Whoa, that sucks for people of color. You're right, it seems important for me to do my best to look out for and improve on the ways I've picked up racism so I cause less harm to people of color."

Where does this "how dare anyone suggest I'm racist?" reaction come from? Why do you care that people think you're racist-- do you think they're accusing you of being a terrible person or part of the KKK or something? What's so controversial about the assertion that all or almost all white people are racist? Do you get this freaked out when people point out other kinds of commonly-held biases in society, like sexism or ableism or the way that people tend to value conventionally attractive people over less attractive people?

(I realize it is ironic to be raising this on this thread because I gather that the book in question would give me some more insight on this question of why y'all are so terrified of/furious about anyone calling you racist, but I am curious to hear it from your own mouths...)

How is it helpful? Being called a racist suggests that you willfully believe others are less than you just because of the color of their skin. This effort to redefine it to also mean the unintentional biases that we absorb from living in our society takes none of the sting out of that term.

Do people throwing “racist” around want to help drive constructive change or just to lord others’ unintended mistakes/missteps over them. Kind of seems like the latter from your PP. If we instead focus on HOW to best drive change we’d be using an approach that does not try to intentionally offend the people you are coaxing you change right off the bat.

NP and it would really upset me to be called racist because I have black children as a white woman. I know I have unconscious biases to work on but racism is a belief that another race is inferior, and I certainly would be offended if someone was saying I think my children are inferior to me. Obviously this comes from an emotional standpoint but it also would make me very defensive and unlikely to listen to the individual calling me racist.

[Anonymous]

Wow. So much white fragility. AKA snowflakes.

Put on your big girl panties and read the book. You won’t melt.

[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.

Will there be a communist party meeting later where you need to prove you have read it, or else you are labeled as enemy of the people and send to Siberia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. So much white fragility. AKA snowflakes.

Put on your big girl panties and read the book. You won’t melt.

I am one of the people arguing its approach Is not constructive and there are - and I have been exposed to - much better ways to deal with this topic and generate change. I already read the book. That’s how I have an opinion on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. So much white fragility. AKA snowflakes.

Put on your big girl panties and read the book. You won’t melt.

I am one of the people arguing its approach Is not constructive and there are - and I have been exposed to - much better ways to deal with this topic and generate change. I already read the book. That’s how I have an opinion on it.

Ok. Proof that you won’t melt, OP. You can do it.

What’s the follow up read? How to be antiracist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Will there be a communist party meeting later where you need to prove you have read it, or else you are labeled as enemy of the people and send to Siberia?

Why? Worried about a meeting conflict? Is your KKK meeting scheduled at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Maybe because Jewish is not a race. It is a religion so you mean religious discrimination. Right? Because, racially, for the most part, you all classify as White for race. Religion is Judaism. So maybe that is why those teachers do not understand racial discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Op, I posted earlier that this is not my favorite book in the anti-racism genre however I promise you it’s fine. Think if it as information-gathering/cultural awareness if you like.

I really would recommend trying to read it with an open-mind. If you go in looking for lines or ideas to be offended by you will find them (and because of the nature of this particular book you will feel “called out” for you ruffled feathers.) It will be a better experience, better for your career, and, yes, better for black students/colleagues, etc if you read it with an spirit of trying to learn. (That doesn’t mean you are obligated to agree with every word she says or think her phrasing is the most constructive or that there is no element of trendiness with this particular author.) I genuinely wish you good luck!

[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.

Yes. They will continue to hold racist ideals that all black /brown kids are trash, not as cute, smart, forgiveable, or have parental support aa white kids and treat them accordingly. Because, the achievement gaps is ALL the parent's fault. I have a neighbor with a black son who is in the same class mine. Her son is sweet, very much a "boy" like mine who can sometimes be silly/ naughty. I notice her son gets chastised way more than my kid and my son is borderline very naughty. I cannot help but notice these and some other differences. Maybe this book is needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes. They will continue to hold racist ideals that all black /brown kids are trash, not as cute, smart, forgiveable, or have parental support aa white kids and treat them accordingly. Because, the achievement gaps is ALL the parent's fault. I have a neighbor with a black son who is in the same class mine. Her son is sweet, very much a "boy" like mine who can sometimes be silly/ naughty. I notice her son gets chastised way more than my kid and my son is borderline very naughty. I cannot help but notice these and some other differences. Maybe this book is needed.

lol you are a simpleton who is this they you are talking about get a clue lady

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes. They will continue to hold racist ideals that all black /brown kids are trash, not as cute, smart, forgiveable, or have parental support aa white kids and treat them accordingly. Because, the achievement gaps is ALL the parent's fault. I have a neighbor with a black son who is in the same class mine. Her son is sweet, very much a "boy" like mine who can sometimes be silly/ naughty. I notice her son gets chastised way more than my kid and my son is borderline very naughty. I cannot help but notice these and some other differences. Maybe this book is needed.

lol you are a simpleton who is this they you are talking about get a clue lady

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a problem with it, school books for the last 400 years have focused on black fragility.

Actually your premise is incorrect. And this isn’t simply a required reading, it comes along with required discussions, in the workplace, with your coworkers and supervisors, on a subject where the focus is on white people’s racism. In such a situation it would be incredibly easy for someone to voice a dissenting opinion that could be regarded by someone else as racist, and all hell would break lose. Do you really not understand how requiring such a topic of conversation in the workplace could be extremely problematic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since it’s prince William, wait until the facilitator mentions the premise of the book, then file away https://www.pwcs.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=340225&pageId=738290

But it says here that you can only file a complaint of discrimination or harassment if it is towards a protected category. Whites aren’t a protected category, therefore we wouldn’t be able to file a complaint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a problem with it, school books for the last 400 years have focused on black fragility.

Actually your premise is incorrect. And this isn’t simply a required reading, it comes along with required discussions, in the workplace, with your coworkers and supervisors, on a subject where the focus is on white people’s racism. In such a situation it would be incredibly easy for someone to voice a dissenting opinion that could be regarded by someone else as racist, and all hell would break lose. Do you really not understand how requiring such a topic of conversation in the workplace could be extremely problematic?

So then don’t “dissent” and just listen to the discussion.