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Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

Abstract

Despite the abolition of slavery and Jim Crow laws, racial inequity persists. Bonilla-Silva (2017) suggests that colorblind racism, or the assertion that race does not matter for one’s life chances, has perpetuated anti-Black racial inequality since the Civil Rights Movement. Now, through antiracist efforts such as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, White Americans are increasingly expanding their notions of racism to include the subtle, institutional racial discrimination associated with colorblind ideologies (Crass 2015). A rejection of “colorblind” thinking places Whites in a position to address systems of White supremacy, both in themselves and the world around them, but it is not clear how this ideological shift influences antiracist activism. It is known, however, that when facing one’s own privilege, Whites often experience White fragility (DiAngelo 2018), a form of racial stress which can hinder antiracist efforts as Whites retreat from the discomfort they feel in race-based interactions. This study explores how White self-identified antiracists grapple with racial inequity and experience the challenges associated with changing views on race. Specifically, I ask: how do racially progressive Whites engage in everyday antiracism while managing White fragility? Interviews with self-identified politically liberal antiracist Whites show that some challenge systemic racial injustice by sharing antiracist ideas. Others struggle to process emotions like anger and fear around antiracist work leading to inconsistent engagement in antiracist action. Findings suggest that White people’s claims to being antiracist are centered on talk but not always larger actions.

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