We have been thinking about our world and all that is happening in it right now: COVID-19; anti-Asian racism; health disparities for Black and Brown people; concerns about the militarization of the police forces and the increase in police stress as well as police brutality/overreach. There are a lot of emotions and some of you have talked about feeling helpless and hopeless.

We want to invite you to purchase a copy of WHITE FRAGILITY by Robin DiAngelo. It is available through a number of bookstores and as an e-book. We will begin talking about the book on July 15 from 7-8:30 PM via Zoom. 7:00-7:30 will be a time of checking in and will be our mid-week prayer and friendship time. 7:30-8:30 will be the time for the book discussion. Please let Pastor Leslie know if you would like to participate in the book study.

Why this book? There are many books from which we could choose to begin our study, but here is one review of this book:

“In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.”

Please join us in the conversation. The book has 12 chapters. We will read a chapter a week and follow the reading guide/discussion questions developed by the author.