There are a few things in life that white people just can’t handle. Things such as any curry that is spicier than mild, when people use the Māori language, and discussing racism. This is called white fragility (I don’t think the curry thing comes under it, that’s just being a pussy).
Essentially, white fragility is the discomfort and awkwardness that white people experience when discussing “sensitive” topics such as racism, gender and sexuality. Not politics though – they think they know all about that (you’d think so considering they come from a long line of colonisers). But why do white people feel this discomfort? Aside from the fact that it probably adds to their ‘playing the victim role’ and that they’ll never get racially profiled at Farmers, one would assume that it’s because they can’t speak on a topic they know nothing about.
However, white people assume that their silence and obvious discomfort on issues such as racism are for the best. I mean, you wouldn’t listen to health advice from a crackhead on the street and not a doctor, so why would you listen to advice/thoughts on racism from a white person who’s never experienced it?! But white fragility actually contributes towards racism (shocker). Those who experience white fragility may disagree that they are racist (probably because they’ve got a black friend, so how can they be racist), but their actions, behaviours and feelings most likely promote and contribute towards racism. As avoiding the topic of race contributes to racism. By turning a blind eye towards things such as white superiority and white privilege, racism will continue to hold its place in society.
Since white people experience racism just about as much as those who live in the desert experience snow, they often cannot feel, see, or understand it. However, unfortunately many people of colour experience racism from an age earlier than they can even understand it, with many of them describing how their parents have had to prepare them to live a life as a minority in a racist society. Due to white people’s blatant ignorance (on all topics), understanding and experiencing what they lack is known as ‘racial stamina.’ White people can develop racial stamina by engaging in genuine conversations with people of colour and having direct experiences. By building racial stamina, it may cure their white fragility and allow them to contribute to an anti-racist society, instead of ignoring and silencing the racism that goes on around them. Helping break the pattern of fragile behaviours and actions towards race. However, they’ve yet to find a cure for not enjoying curry spicier than mild, just grow up really.
