Thursday, September 20, 2018

Bad choice for a good cause: Robin DiAngelo's contempt for white progressives

The refusal of some in the US to acknowledge that the Confederacy stood for treason for the cause of slavery is a continuing disgrace to the US. 

Star Peterson, a Charlottesville activist who suffered severe injuries in the car attack following the Aug. 12, 2017, Unite the Right rally, read aloud a portion of a book called “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People to Talk About Racism.” 
Written by sociologist Robin DiAngelo, the book examines why it can be difficult for white people to talk about race and steps they can take to acknowledge that. At a Charlottesville City Council meeting last month, copies of the book were given to the councilors. 
After reading the excerpt, Peterson said she hopes School Board members will seek out the book and learn from it.
What the School Board members will learn from Robin DiAngelo is that the very people who oppose Confederacy fetishism, like Peterson, are considered by Robin DiAngelo to be doing the most harm to black people.

"I believe that white progressives cause the most daily damage to people of color." 
Maybe Star Peterson should actually read DiAngelo's book. She might learn that far from helping people of color, DiAngelo believes that Peterson is part of the group of people hurting black people the most.