Listen free for 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
White Fragility cover art

White Fragility

Written by: Dr. Robin DiAngelo, Michael Eric Dyson - foreword
Narrated by: Amy Landon
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $27.43

Buy Now for $27.43

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.

In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to 'bad people'" (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue.

In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.

Download readers' guides at beacon.org/whitefragility.

©2018 Robin DiAngelo (P)2018 Random House Audio

What the critics say

“[T]houghtful, instructive, and comprehensive... This slim book is impressive in its scope and complexity; DiAngelo provides a powerful lens for examining, and practical tools for grappling with, racism today.” (Publishers Weekly)

“As a woman of color, I find hope in this book because of its potential to disrupt the patterns and relationships that have emerged out of long-standing colonial principles and beliefs. White Fragility is an essential tool toward authentic dialogue and action. May it be so!” (Shakti Butler, president of World Trust and director of Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible)

“A rare and incisive examination of the system of white body supremacy that binds us all as Americans... With authenticity and clarity, she provides the antidote to white fragility and a road map for developing white racial stamina and humility. White Fragility loosens the bonds of white supremacy and binds us back together as human beings.” (Resmaa Menakem, author of My Grandmother’s Hands and Rock the Boat)

More from the same

What listeners say about White Fragility

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    905
  • 4 Stars
    145
  • 3 Stars
    63
  • 2 Stars
    25
  • 1 Stars
    73
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    546
  • 4 Stars
    204
  • 3 Stars
    123
  • 2 Stars
    43
  • 1 Stars
    71
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    750
  • 4 Stars
    109
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    22
  • 1 Stars
    55

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Food for thought.

Amy Landon sounds like an AI. I found her very hard to listen to & had a hard time not drifting off because her voice is so monotonous. The content was very interesting though and made me realize as a white person that I need to change some my attitudes and perspectives where people of colour are concerned. It made me realize that as someone socialized as white, I really have no clue what it’s like to grow up in a racist society. I can do better and I’m grateful that this book showed me where some of my biases lie and that I can do better.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great meaningful content

Only feedback is the narration was a bit robotic. Didn’t know it was an actual person at first.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A must read.

I enjoyed listening to this book. I am not white but I think non-whites should also read this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Pia
  • 2021-01-16

Thorough and well written

This is a beautifully written book with so many points that we do not necessarily have at the forefront of our thought process in our everyday living. I will have to listen to this book many many more times as I explore my own short comings on the side of being white and perpetrating thoughtless racism. I am thankful to have gotten my hands on this listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

very important

This is a very important book. Take the time to listen. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A solid read for understanding personal bias

Prepare to be uncomfortable.

This book is, in my opinion, a must read for white people. Particularly impactful for me was the section on the Good/Bad Binary and how it perpetuates and normalizes racism and racist behaviour.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great content but very hard to listen to.

I'm thoroughly enjoying this book. It's so rich in understanding and exploration. So revealing on how our culture is without shaming or pointing blame. But it has to be one of the hardest audiobooks to listen to. I understand Amy Landon is a professional when it comes to her voice. This book sounds awfully like me speaking to Siri on my iPhone. Too robotic for a book about humanity.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good but boring

Good content but poor narrative. I think the book can be more interesting if it was narrated by another with more uplifting tone.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Deep Thought Required

A well articulated, educational piece that I will go back to again and again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book but poor performance

Definitely recommend this book, I usually prefer to buy hard copy books but had been having a lot of trouble finding a copy of this book and similar books due to the current movement so I thought I would try the audible version.
Excellent book and an important read but I found the narration to be very monotone and somewhat robotic.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!