White fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves.
I was a black kid in an all-white school, so I had to deal with some of that stress and pressure.
Being a black person in America is exhausting.
White people in North America live in a social environment that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. This insulated environment of racial protection builds white expectations for racial comfort while at the same time lowering the ability to tolerate racial stress.
. . .there is an element of Play that is almost ritualistic in Black folk life. It serves to mediate the tensions, stress, and pain of constant exploitation and oppression.
Making space to deal with the psychological toll of racism is absolutely necessary.
For black people, being around white people is sometimes like taking care of babies you don't like.
It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is no respite or escape from your badge of color.
For all of the continued awareness of systemic violence and oppression, there isn't a lot of talk about that psychological toll of racism, at least in white circles and white media.
