The goal of my work is to make visible the inevitable racist assumptions held, and patterns displayed, by white people conditioned from living in a white supremacist culture.
Robin DiangeloRead
As white people in this society, we are socialized from the time that we're born to see ourselves as superior, to see white people and things associated white people as superior. At the same time, I'm encouraged to never admit to that. I'm taught that racism is very bad and immoral.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote discusses how societal conditioning leads white individuals to perceive themselves as superior while being taught to reject the notion of racism.
In this quote, Robin DiAngelo highlights the internal conflict experienced by white individuals in society, who are socialized to adopt a belief in their own superiority based on race, while simultaneously being conditioned to reject and condemn racism. This duality creates a paradox where individuals benefit from systemic advantages while being taught that such views are immoral, leading to a lack of critical self-reflection on their privilege.
Themes
RacismPrivilegeSocietySuperiorityWhite
In practice
Example use cases
During a workshop on diversity and inclusion, this quote can be used to discuss the concept of white privilege.
More from Robin Diangelo
All quotes →Whites often respond defensively when linked to other whites as a group or 'accused' of collectively benefiting from racism, because as individuals, each white person is 'different' from any other white person and expects to be seen as such.
Robin DiangeloRead
One of the most important misunderstandings for white people to get over to move forward is this idea that racism is a good-bad proposition - that if we're good we can't be part of it, that being uncomfortable means you're a terrible person. We have to let go of that and understand it as a system we all live in.
Robin DiangeloRead
You have to be in accountable relationships across race. Accountable means that they're authentic, they're sustained, and that you do talk about racism, and you are able to be given feedback.
Robin DiangeloRead
This is what I have learned: Any white person living in the United States will develop opinions about race simply by swimming in the water of our culture. But mainstream sources - schools, textbooks, media - don't provide us with the multiple perspectives we need.
Robin DiangeloRead
White consciousness is deeply anti-black, and that's for progressives and conservatives.
Robin DiangeloRead
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