White Fragility

Ok kiddo, have you ever heard of the word "fragility"? It means that something is very delicate and can easily break or get hurt. So when people talk about "white fragility," they are talking about how some white people get very upset or defensive when they hear discussions about racism or when somebody points out something they did or said that might have hurt someone's feelings because of their race.

You know how sometimes when you get in trouble or somebody says something mean to you, you might cry or get angry or try to make excuses for what you did? Well, some white people react the same way when somebody brings up racism. They might say things like "I'm not racist, I have black friends!" or "Not everything is about race, can't we just all get along?" Instead of listening to what the other person is saying and trying to understand their perspective, they get defensive and try to protect themselves from feeling bad for doing or saying something that might have hurt someone's feelings.

But here's the thing, sweetie. It's really important for us to talk about racism and try to understand how our actions and words can affect others. We can't ignore it and pretend like it doesn't exist or that it's not a big deal. So instead of getting defensive, we should try to be open to listening to what other people have to say and learning from them. It might be uncomfortable, but it's the only way we can become better people and make the world a better place for everyone.