white fragility
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of white fragility
Coined by Robin DiAngelo (born 1956), U.S. academic and author, in her article “White Fragility” (2011)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Harris showed that new ways of drawing an audience were possible and that Black playwrights didn’t have to tread gingerly on white fragility to be deemed successful.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2021
DiAngelo's discussion of "white fragility" is not a position readily identified with CRT.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2021
After the May 25 death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, words around racial justice experienced spikes, including fascism, anti-fascism, defund and white fragility.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 30, 2020
It is not tone policing, protecting white fragility or covering up abuse.
From New York Times ● Aug. 17, 2019
DiAngelo considers white fragility a form of bullying that effectively shuts down conversations about race and racism before the first layers of opinion and prejudice have been peeled back.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
