White Guilt, White Apathy, White Denial: Exploring White Strategies for Saving Face

• In Event: 4120 - White Fragility, White Tears: Managing White Emotions in Critical Discussions of Race

Abstract

What do white people do when race is on the table? White folks are regularly engaged in seemingly contradictory behavior (e.g., claiming they value diversity as they make choices that reinforce segregation). They remain invested in seeing themselves as “good people” even as they either participate in or remain disconnected from racial injustice that exists not only afar but up close. In this talk, I will discuss how white people save face. What ideological, emotional and practical work do they do to explain, justify, and rationalize their actions and ideas in light of their many in inconsistencies.

Authors

• Amanda Evelyn Lewis, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Margaret A. Hagerman, Mississippi State University