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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Diangelo ask white people to consider about racism?

2. What did one unhappy program participant email Diangelo that she would rather talk about than race?

3. What is a person’s internalized awareness of their status, as well as response to the status of others?

4. How might progressive whites respond in racism workshops like the ones Diangelo leads?

5. Who does the chain of self-defense blame for white people's discomfort about racism, according to Diangelo?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why, according to Diangelo, do so many white people feel the need to "build trust" before they talk to others about race?

2. What does Diangelo write is problematic about white people using the language of violence to describe their own white fragility?

3. How do white people protect their positions of power, according to Diangelo?

4. What may employers be required to do if they choose not to hire a person of color?

5. What does Diangelo say about The Blind Side?

6. What is affirmative action, and who does it affect?

7. What does Diangelo ask as a white person who wants to challenge their own internalized racism?

8. What are some common claims white people use to assuage their complicity, according to Diangelo?

9. What are some common emotional reactions white people have when their assumptions are challenged, according to Diangelo?

10. What are white tears?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay exploring how Diangelo positions herself in the book. How does she refer to herself in relation to the topic at hand (white fragility), and how does this affect the reader and the impact of the book?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you examine Diangelo's ideas about prejudice. What does she say about prejudice, and why is it important that white people understand her definition of it? In what ways could it help them to better challenge themselves and systemic racism as a whole?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you explain the concept of white privilege. What is white privilege, and why is it important for white people to have a firm grasp of it?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 797 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample