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Angela
Mr. Roberts is a white teacher with whom DiAngelo is asked to consult after he makes an inappropriate comment to a Black female student. In one of their sessions, he talks about how a white colleague called another Black student “girl,” and the student took offense. Telling this story, Mr. Roberts laments that he can’t “say anything anymore,” positioning himself as a victim. DiAngelo notes that he sides with the colleague despite the fact that he has problematic behavior, and he seems completely uninterested in the student’s perspective. Because he reacts with white fragility and believes the student to be in the wrong, Mr. Roberts becomes more close-minded rather than open and willing to work on his racist behavior.
Mr. Roberts Quotes in White Fragility
The White Fragility quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Roberts or refer to Mr. Roberts. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
These white teachers’ responses illustrate several dynamics of white fragility. First, the teachers never considered that in not understanding the student’s reaction, they might be lacking some knowledge or context. They demonstrated no curiosity about the student’s perspective or why she might have taken offense. Nor did they show concern about the student’s feelings. They were unable to separate intentions from impact. […] His colleague, aware that Mr. Roberts was in serious trouble about a cross-racial incident, still maintained white solidarity with him by validating their shared perspective and invalidating that of the student of color. The teachers used the student witness who excused the comment as proof that the other student was wrong. According to them, the witness was the correct student because she denied any racial implications. Finally, the teachers used this interaction as an opportunity to increase racial divides rather than bridge them and to protect their worldviews and positions.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mr. Roberts Quotes in White Fragility
The White Fragility quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Roberts or refer to Mr. Roberts. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 7
Quotes
These white teachers’ responses illustrate several dynamics of white fragility. First, the teachers never considered that in not understanding the student’s reaction, they might be lacking some knowledge or context. They demonstrated no curiosity about the student’s perspective or why she might have taken offense. Nor did they show concern about the student’s feelings. They were unable to separate intentions from impact. […] His colleague, aware that Mr. Roberts was in serious trouble about a cross-racial incident, still maintained white solidarity with him by validating their shared perspective and invalidating that of the student of color. The teachers used the student witness who excused the comment as proof that the other student was wrong. According to them, the witness was the correct student because she denied any racial implications. Finally, the teachers used this interaction as an opportunity to increase racial divides rather than bridge them and to protect their worldviews and positions.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
