Deconstructing White Privilege with Dr. Robin DiAngelo

Summary

The speaker, a white individual, delves into the complexities of racial identity in a society that professes race as insignificant yet remains racially divided. They share their journey from being oblivious to their white privilege to recognizing the systemic nature of racism. The talk addresses common misconceptions like 'not seeing color' and challenges the audience to confront implicit biases, segregation, and the ingrained superiority complex that perpetuates racial inequality. The speaker calls for a deeper understanding and active challenge to the societal structures that uphold racism.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker, who identifies as white, discusses the discomfort of acknowledging one's race and the social conditioning that leads to a lack of racial identity awareness.
• 🔍 The speaker challenges the notion of race as merely individual acts of discrimination, instead framing it as a deeply embedded system that pervades and is reinforced by societal institutions.
• 🏛 The script highlights the historical context of systemic racism, using the example of women's suffrage to illustrate the concept of institutional power and its role in perpetuating inequality.
• 🌐 The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding racism not just as individual prejudice but as a collective, systemic issue backed by institutional power.
• 🚫 Post-Civil Rights era, overt racism became socially unacceptable, leading to a societal avoidance of discussing racism, which the speaker argues is detrimental to addressing the issue.
• 👥 The script points out common defensive narratives among white individuals when discussing race, such as claiming not to see color or to treat everyone the same, which the speaker argues is a misunderstanding of socialization and bias.
• 💡 The speaker introduces the concept of 'implicit bias', explaining that most biases are unconscious and can influence behavior without individuals realizing it.
• 🏘️ The script critiques the use of apps like 'The Sketch Factor' that indirectly perpetuate racial and class segregation by advising users to avoid 'sketchy' neighborhoods.
• 🏡 The speaker reflects on the profound impact of growing up in a racially segregated environment and the lack of challenge to this norm by those who guided them.
• 🤔 The script invites white individuals to consider their privilege and to look beyond superficial understandings of racism, urging a deeper introspection into the fabric of society.
• 🔄 The speaker calls for a lifelong commitment to challenging and changing the systemic racism that is ingrained in society, recognizing that inaction perpetuates the status quo.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the speaker's work?

The central theme of the speaker's work is exploring the meaning of being white in a society that proclaims race meaningless yet is deeply divided by race.

Why does the speaker find it uncomfortable to draw attention to their race?

The speaker finds it uncomfortable because as a white person, they were socialized to see race as something others had, not themselves, and it took many years to recognize the significance of their own race.

What does the speaker believe is the misconception about race among white people?

The speaker believes that white people often see race as individual acts of discrimination and prejudice, rather than acknowledging it as a deeply embedded system that affects their lives.

How does the speaker describe the concept of racism as a system?

The speaker describes racism as a system that the country was founded on, reinforced by all institutions, and characterized by unequal power.

What example does the speaker provide to illustrate the difference between individual acts and systemic inequality?

The speaker uses the example of women's suffrage, explaining that women could only gain the right to vote because men, who held institutional power, granted it to them.

What is the 'good bad binary' according to the speaker?

The 'good bad binary' is the idea that if you are racist, you are a bad person, and if you are not racist, you are a good person, which is a construct that keeps racism in place and makes it difficult to discuss racism with white people.

Why does the speaker argue that saying 'I don't see color' is problematic?

The speaker argues that saying 'I don't see color' is problematic because it denies the existence of racial identity and the socialization process, suggesting a lack of understanding of how society works.

What does the speaker suggest is the impact of living a life in segregation?

The speaker suggests that living a life in segregation shapes one's relationships, perspectives, and experiences, and that it can lead to a lack of understanding and appreciation for the experiences of people of color.

How does the speaker define 'new racism'?

The speaker defines 'new racism' as a form of racism that is embedded in everyday practices and systems, such as neighborhood and school segregation, and is often not explicitly named but understood through coded language.

What is the 'Sketch Factor' app mentioned in the script, and why is it problematic?

The 'Sketch Factor' app is a tool that tells users which neighborhoods to avoid based on perceptions of 'sketchiness,' often associated with race and class. It is problematic because it perpetuates racial segregation and stereotypes through technology.

What does the speaker urge white people to do in order to challenge racism?

The speaker urges white people to take a lifelong journey of understanding and challenging the system of racism, recognizing their own complicity, and being open to feedback and change.

Outlines

00:00

😶 White Identity and Socialization

The speaker begins by addressing their own white identity and the discomfort of acknowledging it. They discuss the socialization process that led them to view race as an individual act rather than a systemic issue. The speaker explains that as a white person, they were taught to see themselves as raceless, with race being something others had. This perspective made it difficult for them to recognize their own racial identity and connection to systemic racism. They now understand racism as a deeply embedded system that the country was founded on and which all institutions reinforce, using the example of women's suffrage to illustrate the difference between individual acts and systemic inequality.

05:00

🤔 Challenging Superficial Narratives on Race

The speaker challenges common narratives that white people use to distance themselves from racism, such as claiming not to see color or to treat everyone the same. They argue that these statements reflect a lack of understanding of socialization and the power of implicit bias. The speaker emphasizes that having relationships with people of color does not exempt one from being complicit in racism, as most bias is unconscious and influences behavior without awareness. They introduce the metaphor of a dock, with the surface representing superficial discussions of race and the pillars beneath symbolizing deeper, underlying beliefs that support these superficial views.

10:03

🏡 The Impact of Segregation on White Experience

The speaker delves into the profound impact of segregation on their life as a white person, discussing how it shapes their relationships and perspectives. They highlight the new app 'Sketch Factor' as an example of modern racism, which indirectly encourages segregation by labeling certain neighborhoods as 'sketchy.' The speaker reflects on the value placed on the absence of people of color in neighborhoods and schools, which is used as a measure of their quality. They express the realization that they could live an entire life in segregation without anyone acknowledging the loss of diverse perspectives and experiences.

15:04

🔄 Dismantling Racism: A Lifelong Commitment

The speaker discusses the need to challenge the system of racism that is deeply ingrained in society. They identify key pillars supporting racism, such as individualism, universalism, internalized superiority, the good-bad binary, and segregation. The speaker emphasizes that acknowledging white privilege is only the beginning and that a deeper understanding of systemic racism is necessary. They encourage white individuals to commit to a lifelong journey of challenging and changing the default reproduction of racism in society, suggesting that receiving and reflecting on feedback from people of color could lead to revolutionary changes in daily life.

Keywords

💡White Supremacy

White supremacy refers to a system in which white people are considered central and inherently superior to people of color. In the video, this concept is used to describe the societal structures that were founded on and continue to perpetuate racial inequality. The speaker reflects on how their own worldview and personality were formed within this system, emphasizing that it is not a personal choice but a societal default that must be actively challenged.

💡Racial Identity

Racial identity is the sense of self that is associated with one's racial or ethnic group. The speaker discusses their journey of understanding their racial identity as white, which was initially invisible to them. The video highlights the importance of recognizing and acknowledging one's racial identity as part of the process of confronting and challenging systemic racism.

💡Systemic Racism

Systemic racism is the presence of racism within the institutions and social structures of a society. The video emphasizes that racism is not just a matter of individual prejudice but is deeply embedded in the systems and institutions that govern society. The speaker provides the example of women's suffrage to illustrate how systemic power imbalances perpetuate inequality.

💡Implicit Bias

Implicit bias refers to the unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions. In the video, the speaker explains that most bias is unconscious and can drive behaviors without our awareness. This concept is critical in understanding how racism can be perpetuated without individuals even realizing their complicity.

💡Segregation

Segregation is the separation of different racial or ethnic groups, often enforced by societal norms or legal boundaries. The speaker discusses the impact of segregation on their life, noting that growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood and attending white schools shaped their perspective and relationships. The video argues that segregation is a powerful tool in maintaining racial inequality.

💡Individualism

Individualism is the idea that each person is unique and not influenced by societal structures. In the video, the speaker critiques the notion of individualism as it relates to race, arguing that it overlooks the impact of socialization and the collective experiences of racial groups. The script uses individualism as an example of a superficial narrative that prevents a deeper understanding of racial dynamics.

💡Universalism

Universalism is the belief that all people are fundamentally the same, often used to suggest that racial differences are insignificant. The video challenges this notion by arguing that it denies the social reality of racial inequality and the different experiences of racial groups. Universalism is presented as a barrier to acknowledging and addressing systemic racism.

💡Good-Bad Binary

The good-bad binary is a concept where being 'not racist' is equated with being a 'good person.' The speaker in the video explains how this binary prevents meaningful discussions about racism, as it sets up a defensive reaction where individuals feel compelled to prove they are not racist rather than examining their complicity in systemic racism.

💡Racial Socialization

Racial socialization refers to the process by which individuals learn about race and develop their racial identity within a social context. The video discusses how the speaker was socialized to see race as something others had, rather than recognizing their own white racial identity. This concept is key to understanding how individuals come to perceive and interact with racial differences.

💡Institutional Power

Institutional power is the authority and influence that institutions, such as government bodies and educational systems, have in shaping societal norms and practices. The video uses the example of women's suffrage to illustrate how institutional power can perpetuate inequality and argues that addressing systemic racism requires engaging with and transforming these institutions.

💡Colorblindness

Colorblindness is the idea of not acknowledging or considering race in one's interactions with others. The speaker in the video critiques this concept, stating that it is not possible to be truly colorblind due to the influence of socialization and the reality of racial differences. The script uses the notion of colorblindness to highlight the superficial narratives that prevent a deeper engagement with racial issues.

Highlights

The speaker shares their journey of recognizing their white identity in a society that proclaims race as meaningless yet is deeply divided by it.

The discomfort of acknowledging one's race as a white person, especially when it has been ingrained to be invisible.

The misconception that race is only about individual acts of discrimination, rather than a systemic issue.

Understanding racism as a deeply embedded system that the country was founded on and perpetuated by all institutions.

The historical context of women's suffrage as an example of institutional power dynamics in granting rights.

The difference between individual prejudice and systemic inequality, using the analogy of pre-women's suffrage discrimination.

The societal shift post-Civil Rights Movement making overt racism socially unacceptable, yet complicating discussions on racism.

Common narratives white people use to rationalize their non-complicity in racism, such as 'not seeing color'.

The critique of the belief that everyone can be taught to treat others the same, highlighting the fallacy of objectivity.

The superficiality of saying 'I don't care if you're pink, blue, purple, polka-dotted' and its demeaning implications.

The concept of implicit bias and its power to drive behaviors without conscious awareness.

The impact of segregation on shaping daily life and the profound lack of diverse perspectives in a homogenous environment.

The 'Sketch Factor' app as an example of modern racial coding and the convenience of segregation through technology.

The societal reinforcement of internalized superiority and its subconscious influence on white individuals.

The challenge of acknowledging white privilege and the defensiveness it provokes due to the 'good-bad binary'.

The revolutionary potential of white individuals receiving feedback on racism with grace and a willingness to change.

Identifying the pillars that support systemic racism, such as individualism, universalism, internalized superiority, the good-bad binary, and segregation.

A call to action for white individuals to commit to challenging systemic racism and the lifelong journey it entails.

Transcripts

foreign

Deangelo and my work focuses on the

question of what does it mean to be

white in a society that proclaims race

meaningless yet is profoundly separated

by race and to start this off I want to

draw your attention to the fact that I'm

white so just look at me for a moment

think about it notice it and part of

being white is that as a very

uncomfortable thing for me to do and

it's taken me many many years to be able

to draw people's attention to my race

and see any significance in it and

that's because as a white person I was

socialized to see race as what they had

I was just a person I I was just a white

bread a Heinz 57 I didn't have race I

was socialized to see race as individual

acts of discrimination and Prejudice

individual acts that anybody could do to

anybody else and if you did those acts

you were a bad person and that is why

since I saw myself as a good person I

didn't see myself as connected to racism

and certainly didn't see myself as

connected to race in other words I

didn't have a sense of a racial identity

today I understand that I move through

the world always and most particularly

as a white person I have a white frame

of reference and I have a white

experience and part of being white is to

have that be invisible to us and to be

able to live our lives without ever

acknowledging that to see that as

non-operative

I Now understand racism as a system as a

deeply embedded system A system that our

country was founded on and that all our

institutions were created out of and

every institution reinforces this system

and it's a system of unequal power so

let me give you an example women in the

United States got the right to vote in

1920 and there was only one possible way

that we could have gotten the right to

vote and that was for men to give it to

us because we literally were not sitting

in the seats of institutional power we

could not give ourselves the right to

vote that doesn't mean that we couldn't

have personal power but we didn't have

institutional power and that's the

difference between a system and

individual acts prior to women's

suffrage I could certainly discriminate

against men I could be unfair to

individual men but my group could not

systematically deny men as a group the

right to vote and Men controlled all the

institutions and they all worked

together to convey the message that

women's place was here and men's place

was there and that's the difference

between individual prejudice and a

system of inequality

so in this field we think about

oppression or in this case racism as

group Prejudice backed by institutional

power

and so prior to the Civil Rights

Movement it was fairly socially

acceptable for white people to just come

out and say we are superior but

post-civil rights it became bad to be

racist right it became unacceptable to

be racist and that seems like a positive

thing right racism is bad but

unfortunately what it morphed into is to

make it impossible for white people to

look at racism because what we hear is I

would have to be a bad person in order

to perpetuate racism it became a moral

issue

in addition to years of reflection and

study of my own racial identity and how

it shapes my life and my experience and

my perspectives I've had the very rare

opportunity to for a living day in and

day out lead primarily white groups of

people in discussions of race and racism

and there are some very very predictable

patterns that come up in these

conversations and as I listen to these

it's almost like a script and as I

listen to white folks my group repeat

these narratives over and over I got

this image of a doc like a peer and it's

just floating on the water and that's

all the superficial things that we say

and you probably recognize some of these

you hear them maybe you've said them

yourself I don't see color I was taught

to treat everybody the same I don't care

if you're pink blue purple polka dotted

my parents weren't racist that's why I'm

not racist or my parents were racist

that's why I'm not racist it doesn't

really matter what goes in front front

of it the answer is always I'm not

racist I know people of color I used to

work in the military all of the things

we say to rationalize that we ourselves

are not complicit in this system now I

want to speak to two of these before I

kind of take us below the surface of the

dock and one is this idea that our

parents taught us to treat everyone the

same and I'm just going to put it out

there like this no they didn't that is

not humanly possible human beings are

not objective you cannot be taught to

treat or to see everyone the same and

when you say that you're indicating that

you don't understand how socialization

Works which is actually a positive thing

in the sense that that can direct what

you would need to focus on if you want

to get deeper understanding

the other one I want to speak to is this

common Trope of I don't care if you're

pink purple polka dotted if that's in

your vocabulary I would urge you to

please drop it and never say it again

although it isn't intentional it's

actually very demeaning people don't

come in those colors and what it conveys

is that you're not prepared to engage

with authenticity okay and that's why I

have this image of a dock right that's

very superficial surface and for me in

trying to understand how all this works

what it means to be white

and live so separate by race even though

I have was taught to see myself

individually as open-minded and outside

of all of this I've had to go under the

surface and that's why I have this image

here now of under the water you see the

peer the pillars or posts that prop up

the surface okay

so for example it's very common in in

discussions of race to have white people

tell you about all the people of color

in their lives right oh I have these

co-workers or my best friend or my

second cousin married a black man or all

of the ways that we want everyone to

know that we have relationships with

people of color okay and so we're giving

you evidence right when someone gives

you tells you that they're giving you

evidence and so what are they giving you

evidence of they're giving you evidence

that because they love people of color

know and love people of color they can't

be racist which means they see racism as

conscious dislike or explicit bias or

hatred right and they're they're

communicating to you that they don't

have conscious dislike or hatred as

evidenced by all of these people in

their lives and what we don't understand

is the power of implicit bias most bias

is unconscious

and that makes it very very dangerous

because it drives our behaviors but

we're not aware of it yes it's wonderful

to have people of color in your life if

you're white many many many people white

people don't have people of color in

close relationships but that doesn't

mean your life is free of racism that

doesn't mean you don't have a white

experience or a white perspective and it

also doesn't mean that racism will not

surface in your relationships with

people of color so if we go underneath

and we look at the pillars that are

supporting that kind of superficial ways

that we're taught to think about racism

we see individualism as a very powerful

prop or support this idea that each of

us is unique and outside of

socialization we see universalism which

is kind of the opposite of individualism

individualism says why can't we all be

different and universalism says why

can't we all be the same this is a very

popular ideology in religious or faith

communities

and I'm not arguing that on a deep

spiritual level we're not all

universally the same but we don't live

if you will in the spiritual realm we

live in the Physical Realm and here in

the Physical Realm we have to ask

ourselves how does it function to say

where we all bleed Under the Skin well

it functions to take race off the table

to take power off the table to deny that

we have fundamentally different

experiences because racism is real

and while race isn't real in other words

at the biological level there is no real

true race or racial difference as we're

we're taught to um understand it these

very superficial signifiers of racial

difference that allow us to categorize

people these are very real in their

consequences for people's lives and this

insistence that we're all one doesn't

allow us to engage with that social

reality I try to help white people see

how race functions in our lives and I

try to move us away from the really

um obvious evident examples such as a

racist joke or a racist action or you

know things that would be recognizable

to everybody right the kinds of Acts

that cause people like me well-meaning

people like me to say I couldn't

possibly be racist I don't do those

things and I try to help white people

understand

racism as the very fabric of our society

many people can recognize the explicit

kind of conscious dislike type of racism

racist jokes racist Expressions the KKK

but I want to speak to you I want to

help white people see the everyday

racism that's embedded and that we

participate in and I want to look at

neighborhood and school segregation as

an example I'm going to start with this

app here these are the apps Founders

it's a new app called the sketch factor

and what it does is when you go to a new

city you can put in where you are and it

tells you which neighborhoods to avoid

because they're sketchy and of course

sketchy is very much associated with

race and class in in the white mind and

so now we have the convenience of

segregation through an app we don't

actually have to talk to other white

people about you know where are the good

neighborhoods and the bad neighborhoods

and that good neighborhood bad

neighborhood good schools bad schools

discourse is an example of new racism I

don't think it it gets by anybody that

that is racially coded language so this

way we can come out and police those

racial boundaries without ever kind of

naming race but we all know what we're

talking about and I think the most

profound way that my life has been

shaped by my race is through the power

of segregation most white people do live

in segregation we choose that

segregation and in a lot of ways we

celebrate it what makes a school good

and what makes a neighborhood good

well the absence of people of color that

is the way that white people measure the

value of their neighborhoods and schools

and while we don't come out and name

that we all know what it is

and so I have had to think very deeply

on what it means to have grown up in a

primarily white neighborhood to be born

into

to go to school

to study to learn to play to worship to

love to work and to die in segregation

and not have one single person who loved

mentored or guided me convey that there

was any loss

and I'm going to repeat that because I

think it's very profound and I really

want us to sit with it

that I can live my whole life in

segregation in fact if I follow the

trajectory that my loving parents laid

out for me in my good neighborhood and

my good school and my good college and

my good career in which I would ideally

rise to the top

I could easily never have any consistent

ongoing authentic relationships with

people of color and not one person who

guided me ever conveyed that there was

loss

just sit with that for a moment that

there is no inherent value in the

perspectives or experiences of people of

color

if my parents if my schools if my

curriculum if my teachers if my

government saw value in those

perspectives I would be given those

perspectives but I wasn't given those

perspectives

and that shapes my relationships it

shapes what I care about it shapes what

I see what I don't see who I build my

life with and who I don't build my life

with and that is the level where we

really need to look at race inside of us

and with us in the line of work that I

do it's a breakthrough if you can get

white people to acknowledge that our

race privileges Us in this Society right

that is like the second coming to get

white folks to admit that we are

privileged by our race but even that

begins to get superficial and you'll

hear why people say just because of the

color of my skin

you know I have these things as if this

is just an accident that happens and I

want to take us deeper I want to take us

inside this skin my psychosocial

development was inculcated in the water

of white supremacy that is what I call

this system I don't mean the KKK I mean

a system in which whiteness and white

people are Central and seen as

inherently Superior than to people of

color my personality was formed in that

water my world view was formed in that

water I didn't choose it it isn't my

fault I'm not racked with guilt about it

but I am responsible for changing it

because the default of our society is

the reproduction of racism it's built

into every system and every Institution

and if we just live our lives and carry

on in the most comfortable ways for us

we will necessarily reproduce it there

is no neutral space inaction is a form

of action

one of the most effective adaptations of

racism since the Civil Rights era is

this idea of a racist is a bad person

and if you're not racist you're a good

person what I call the good bad binary

and we can all fill it in right so if

you're racist and you're Prejudiced and

mean-spirited and bigoted and ignorant

and Southern

and probably drive a pickup truck so we

got some classism in there right this is

our our racist and if you're not racist

you're good and you're Progressive and

you're open-minded and you're educated

and you're Northern

um and this binary is probably the

number one

construct that keeps racism today in

place and makes it nearly impossible to

talk to white people about racism

the defensiveness we have comes from

this binary what we hear is you just

said I was a bad person and so this

binary sits sets it up to be mutually

exclusive you cannot be a good person

and be complicit with racism

so you'll notice in the news when racism

gets talked about you'll they'll bring

in the evidence they'll have to to

defend the person that's being accused

of racism is but he's a really nice

person right because again it's mutually

exclusive we have to understand racism

as a system that we're all a part of you

know I often in my trainings after I've

kind of laid out kind of how racism

works

I'll ask people of color how often have

you given white people feedback on our

inevitable unaware and unintentional but

inevitable racism and have that go well

for you

and you know there's eye rolls and new

laughter and basically the answer is

never right it's virtually impossible

for for people of color to give us

feedback because that binary sets us up

to defend right I must at all cost

deflect and establish that I am not

racist right and that makes it so that

we can't examine the reality of the

society that we live in

and then I'll follow up and ask this

question so what would your daily life

be like this is a question I asked the

people of color if you could simply give

us feedback when we step in it which we

inevitably will and have us receive that

with Grace reflect and seek to do

something different what would your

daily life be like

and recently a man of color in the room

there was a pause and then he said it

would be revolutionary

and I just want you to sit with that for

a minute revolutionary

that white people would receive the

feedback reflect and try to change our

Behavior that would be a Revolution

returning to the pillars underneath the

dock now we can label them right so we

have individualism

we have universalism right individualism

why can't we all be different

universalism why can't we all be the

same they both function to take race off

the table we have internalized

superiority that no white person can

miss

it was not lost on me that fundamentally

it is better to be white I don't want

that belief I didn't ask for that belief

and I've committed my life to

challenging it but 24 7 that is what

Society reinforces for me so

internalized superiority is also one of

the pillars

the good bad binary

is a very foundational pillar up holding

up new racism

and segregation the power of segregation

to keep this system in place and for me

by identifying those pillars it has

helped guide me to then how would I

challenge each of those things and so I

urge you

to take this journey it is lifelong it

won't be over in my lifetime I will

never be free of all of the investments

in this system that I have that I can't

see but I have committed my life to

doing my very best to continually

challenge it and I invite you and in

fact urge you to do the same

[Music]

thank you