Angeleo 1 Michael Angeleo Professor Gomez English 1C 16 October 2018 Essay 3 (First Draft) In Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning, he presents an obvious real life for people of color in America. The issues indicated in the book do not only target the historical undisguised racism as segregationists but accesses an epidemic of racism within the label of assimilationists apart from antiracism. Robin Diangelo’s book, White Fragility argues that most white people in society are unaware of their implicit relationship with racism, essentially supporting Kendi’s claim by using three main points being segregationists, assimilationists, and antiracism. One focal point of Kendi’s formula is Segregationists being blamed for the reckless criminal behavior of the black people and Diangelo really supports this claim. Diangelo exemplifies segregation by speaking on how it occurs within neighborhoods and schools when she says, “If you lived in an integrated neighborhood and/or attended an integrated school, you had to make sense of the segregation in most of society outside the school, especially in segments considered of higher value or quality” (36). This quote completely supports Kendi’s claims because of how segregating races can affect all life around them. The more segregation that happens, the more likely the chances of history repeating itself within the United States. Diangelo then addresses how life is deeply shaped by segregation when saying, “Of all racial Angeleo 2 groups, whites are the most likely to choose segregation and are the group most likely to be in the social and economic position to do so” (65). White people tend to be more comfortable to discretely segregate other racial groups when surrounded by other whites. This is just how our pasts have shaped the people of today. More recently people have been more expressive which is a big concern because of how negatively segregation has affected the US in the past. Diangelo emphasizes her beliefs about how white people are the main reason for segregation. Again Diangelo references segregation in schools when she states, “Readers have no doubt heard schools and neighborhoods discussed in these terms and know that this talk is racially coded; ‘urban’ and ‘low test scores’ are code for ‘not white’ and therefore less desirable” (67). This quote alone can support Diangelo’s claim because of how stereotypical these codes are. People expect schools to have low test scores when in a neighborhood with high crime rates. This may not always be the case, as the saying goes don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Overall, segregation is a main weapon used by white people in relation with implicit racism. On the other hand, White Fragility does not fall into any category of Kendi’s formula as supported in the article, “Betsy DeVos and the Segregation of School Choice” written by Mike Wilkerson, he explains how school segregation is not an issue and integration is actually a striving possibility. Wilkerson wrote, “Education researchers say disadvantaged minority students benefit academically and socially from a more integrated education environment” (22). Stating this falsifies Diangelo’s claims about segregation in schools because there are statistics proving Wilkerson’s statements. It is also stated that all students benefit from integration. Angeleo 3 The second focal point exercised within Kendi’s formula is Assimilationists arguing for both, saying that Black people and racial discrimination were to blame. Diangelo introduces assimilationist ideologies when she says, “ Moreover, Diangelo ignores the epidemic of Assimilationists by not giving evidence that they were also racist. Diangelo emphasizes this claim when she states, “Being perceived as white carries more than a mere racial classification; it is a social and institutional status and identity imbued with legal, political, economic, and social rights and privileges that are denied to others” (24). Diangelo then again supports this counterclaim of Assimilationists by saying, “White people will perceive danger simply by the presence of black people; we cannot trust our perceptions when it comes to race and crime” (45). Her final counterclaim exemplifies the exact meaning of Kendi’s formula when stating, “In backstage settings, where people of color were not present, white students use often used humor to reinforce racial stereotypes about people of color” (49). Mitch Berbier also argues Diangelo’s claims in his article, “Assimilation and Pluralism as Cultural Tools” he argues that the speeding of assimilation with immigrants increased the product of love and empathy. Saying that assimilation was not all bad, in conclusion he exemplifies this idea of the melting pot benefiting the country when he says, “From the point of view of advocates, the demand to ‘melt’ is less harsh than the demand to conform; the central difference is in the pace” (33-34). He also supports every claim made by using evidence from past experiences. Angeleo 4 The final focal point of Kendi’s whole formula is Antiracists blaming the police for their reckless racist behavior, which is supported by Diangelo completely. She exemplifies this claim when stating, “Color-blind statements insist that people do not see race, or if they see it, it has no meaning to them” (77). Diangelo explains that people claiming to not view race as a category are also a contributor to the overall race complication within the states. Their view of the world as a whole intervenes with the actions of prospering race programs or communities. By saying they do not agree with racism or antiracists, they completely contradict their goal by separating people by beliefs in society. Diangelo again backs up Kendi’s statement when claiming, “A racism-free upbringing is not possible, because racism is a social system embedded in the culture and its institutions. We are born into this system and have no say in whether we will be affected by it” (83). Diangelo explicates that everybody is born into racism no matter what, there is no possibility of someone being raised without being introduced to racism and even partaking in some aspects of it. She believes that nobody has a choice when it comes to racism or judging by ethnic backgrounds. This ideology is a major epidemic that has affected countries for as long as they have been around, more so for America because of how diverse it is. Finally, Diangelo concludes her supporting evidence with, “Not talking about race allows us to maintain our sense of ourselves as unique individuals, outside collective socialization and group experience” (86). In this quote she also supports her claim by stating that singling yourself out or as a group by not perceiving race as a factor in world problems is contradicting. She also claims that antiracists blame police for acting out of hand when dealing with criminals although they claim to be antiracists as well, in which they are wrong and this is explained in her book. Overall, Diangelo Angeleo 5 Although, William B. Waegel argues this claim of police brutality in his article, “How Police Justify the Use of Deadly Force” by stating that every officer is just doing their job, however they complete their task is all a part of what they train for. A good example of this statement is when Waegel says, “The police subculture contains interpretive schemes for addressing the practical problems of when to shoot first, who are the proper recipients of deadly force, and why and under what circumstances suspects deserve to be shot” (154). Waegel justifies his claim by using evidence of current and retired police officers’ experiences which explain why most officers have a offensive mentality when dealing with a criminal.
