1. White Tears in the Classroom
Rachael Blansett
Chelsea Smith

2. Agenda White Fragility Whiteness University System History
Privileged Identity Exploration Model
Angry PoC Narrative
Informing our topic
Case Study
Policy Recommendations

3. White Fragility
“I’ve had people tell me the term itself is offensive...which is classic white fragility”- R. Diangelo
A state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves such as:
Outward display of emotions (anger, fear, and guilt)
Behaviors of argumentation, silence, and leaving the situation
Factors that insulate fragility: segregation, universalism & individualism, entitlement to racial comfort, racial arrogance, psychic freedom, mass representation in everything
DiAngelo, 2011

4. White Silence
White silence is a manifestation of white fragility and is a common tactic used by white people to avoid participating in cross-racial discussion
Rooted in complacency of privilege
Common rationales for silence:
“It’s just my personality - I rarely talk in groups.”
“Everyone has already said what I was thinking.”
“I don’t want to be misunderstood/say the wrong thing/offend anybody”
DiAngelo, 2012, p. 1

5. Whiteness
A social process; theory-laden constructs inseparable from systems of injustice
Frankenburg (1993) defines Whiteness as multi-dimensional:
Whiteness is a location of structural advantage, of racial privilege
It is the “standpoint;” a place in which White people look at themselves, others, and society
A set of cultural practices that are usually unmarked and unnamed
DiAngelo, 2011

6. History of the University System
Universities have historically served White, Christian, heterosexual, middle-class, able- bodied, male-dominated identities
“Whiteness as property” - a tenet of Critical Race Theory (CRT)
Learning as an objective process
Content and curriculum
Exclusion in higher education
Institutional discourse on diversity
Bondi, 2012

7. Privileged Identity Exploration Model
Model refers to privileged identities that are linked to political and social advantage
Not limited to race
Recognize eight defense reactions
Raising critical consciousness
“While students today are exposed to more diversity, they likely have not thoroughly explored their own identity and what it means to function honorably in a multicultural community”
To advocate for social justice must be willing to change institutional policy and practice
Suggested Literature: White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh
Privileged Identity Exploration Model
Watts,2007

8. 8 Modes of Defense Denial Deflection Rationalization
Intellectualization
Principum
False Envy
Benelovence
Minimization
Watts,2007

9. “Angry” Person of Color
The moment an assertive black woman expresses her opinion, she becomes an “Angry Black Woman.”
Anger is a valid emotion
PoC shouldn’t have to apologize for being angry
PoC, specifically Black women, are shamed for the things white women are typically praised for
Huffington Post, 2015

10. Case Study
Scenario:
Students in a sociology class are discussing the recent police violence against black males. The professor is allowing the students to facilitate the class discussion. The Black male classmate expresses to the class a genuine and legitimate fear as a result of recent times. A white female classmate speaks up about how people shouldn’t be afraid of the police if they do not do anything illegal. Out of anger as well as out of legitimate concern, a black female student speaks up about the facts of recent cases of police violence, oppression and the stigma of men in the African American community, and the constant dismissal of the concerns of black students. The white female student begins to get upset and cry, because she said she felt attacked by the black female student because she is not racist and her brother is a police officer.
Contributors:
White Ally Classmate
Black Female Classmate
Professor

11. Relation to Iowa State How do these concepts inform our topic?
At Iowa State: Microaggression CoE
Hinder the learning of others
Reinforce white privilege
Personal Experiences
Watts,2007

12. Recommendations Recognize your privilege
Utilize your privilege to evoke change
Learning
Humility
Allow PoC space to speak about the experiences
Remember the goal of the conversation
Be specific about your observations (“I noticed when I said X, you reacted in Y manner…”)
Try to remove value judgments
White people should talk about White racism in safe, separate spaces to challenge themselves, peers and/or staff
Watts,2007; Accapadi, 2007

13. References
Bondi, S. (2012). Students and institutions protecting whiteness as property: A critical race theory analysis of a student affairs preparation. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 49(4) p
DiAngelo, R. (2012). Nothing to add: A challenge to white silence in racial discussions. Understanding & Dismantling Privilege, 2(1) p
DiAngelo, R. (2011). White fragility. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3) p
Hoft, J. (2016, Sep. 30). Iowa state university now indoctrinating freshman engineering students with lectures on microaggressions. Gateway Pundit. Retrieved from
Motwani Accapadi, M. (2007). When white women cry: How white women’s tears oppress women of color. The College Student Affairs Journal, 26(2) p
Iowa State University. (2016)
Pewewardy, N. (2004). The political is personal: The essential obligation of white feminist family therapists to deconstruct white privilege. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 16(1),
Walsh, L. (2015). Amandla stenberg and the sad reality of the ‘angry black girl’ stereotype. Black Voices:Huffington Post.
Watt, S. K. (2007). Difficult dialogues, privilege and social justice: Uses of the privileged identity exploration (PIE) model in student affairs practice. College student affairs journal, 26(2), 114.