Words mean a lot. Words can be triggering. Racist. Bigot. White supremacy. Prejudiced.
For most people, the idea of being called any of these words or connected to them in some way is incredibly painful and offensive. For most people, the reaction to hearing any of these words is to get incredibly defensive - and shut down the conversation.
Dr. Robin DiAngelo, a professor at University of Washington has written a book on this behavior and more called "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism."
She explains the phenomenon, and discusses how white people can engage more openly across race. Moreover, she says any person of the dominant race in a society is racist to some degree, innocently perhaps, but racist. It's in their personal best interest to keep the status quo, she says, even if it's not a conscious intention.
In this 2018 video of a talk DiAngelo gave as her book was being released, she lays out all of the misconceptions people have about racism and how it's imperative for all people to look inside themselves humbly and honestly. Only then can it be learned how to be better and do better.
But before watching this eye-opening talk, why not take this Project Implicit test developed by Harvard University? It is meant to reveal any implicit associations about race, gender, sexual orientation, and other topics a person may have. Remember, this is not about blame. This is about education.
Dr. Wendy has two daughters. They are both of mixed race. Listen to Dr. Wendy's segment on implicit bias.