Okay. Someone in your life has read White Fragility, and they accuse you of racism, white supremacy, white complicity, or white fragility itself. How do you respond? It's easy. "No, you."

A thread.

At the beginning of both "White Fragility" the 2011 academic paper and White Fragility the 2018 bestselling book, Robin DiAngelo defines "white fragility" as a "range of defensive moves" that white people use to avoid examining their own racism, and she lists what these moves are

1) You could argue.
2) You could stay silent.
3) You could go away from the situation.
4) You could become emotional.

Any of these responses is white fragility. Otherwise, you could assent positively to the accusation and start "doing the work." To hell with that.

Here's what you do. You flip it.

"You're a racist / complicit in white supremacy / blah blah blah."
"No, you. You are."

Notice, that's not on the list of "defensive moves" that constitute white fragility. Plus, it's probably true.

How can I be so sure it's true? Robin DiAngelo's "white fragility" thesis is that all white people are complicit in racism, so people who believe this already know they must be racist. Racist who admits it or who is fragile. None of this applies to you; you're outside of the cult

When the person then tries to accuse you of "white fragility" or "racism" after you answer with "no, you," simply point out the ways white fragility manifests, observe that returning the accusation isn't one of them, and that their defensiveness is their white fragility.

Because they get defensive when you say "no, you," you can be sure by the "Theory" they've absorbed that they, but not necessarily you, are indeed racist, and on their terms, they're stuck with it. That defensiveness is the proof, according to the "Theory." You weren't defensive.

So, if someone accuses you of white fragility or tells you to read White Fragility because you're a racist, just flip it back on them. Then tell them that their white fragility is showing if they get upset. Easy enough.