It is incredibly easy to pinpoint examples of discrimination in 2019. For instance, a book longer than Moby Dick would be required to point out every racist action Donald Trump has committed since his election. From his still active Muslim ban, to his description of White Nationalists as “fine people”, to his labeling of African countries as “shitholes”, to the insufficient and lagging provisions of aid to Puerto Rico, and to his slow response to disavow his KKK endorsement and his white supremacist supporters; clearly there is no shortage of examples. Trump’s actions, as well as the fact that he is still supported by [87 percent of conservatives] (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44324545), demonstrate how prevalent racist mentalities are in the current U.S. American climate.

This article, however, is about something slightly different.

The New York Times best seller White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, details some white people’s inability to manage any amount of racial stress. This includes their discomfort and hesitation to acknowledge or explore their own offensive actions. DiAngelo criticizes white liberals the harshest, for what is described to be their perspective of racial superiority. According to DiAngelo, there is often an assumption on the part of white liberals that it is impossible for them to harbor biases or be the perpetrators of racial slights. A book review from The New Yorker notes that according to DiAngelo, “white people cling to the notion of racial innocence, a form of weaponized denial that positions black people as the “havers” of race.”

In other words, the white liberal assumption that they have within them some kind of fantastical immunity to committing racial microaggressions, inadvertently makes the existence of race more apparent in the life of African Americans. The notion of ‘I don’t care if you’re white, black, or green, I treat everyone equally,’ that some white people so devoutly cling to, allows them to continue to navigate their reality without race being a main concern. This is in sharp contrast to the reality of African Americans, who have no choice but to constantly confront the many ways race affects them. According to DiAngelo, “the argument that race shouldn’t matter, prevents us from grappling with how it does.”

Not only that, white liberals have a habit of leveraging a racialized environment to their advantage, with the intention to demonstrate just how racially aware and open-minded they are to anyone who is watching. According to DiAngelo, “To the degree that white progressives think we have arrived, we will put our energy into making sure that others see us as having arrived.” In this sense, it is not the goal for white liberals to be anti-racist, rather, the goal is for absolutely anyone and everyone around them to perceive them as such. Sometimes this is more important than creating an environment free of racial aggression for the minorities they state they are working to protect.

A recent example of what I described as the White Liberal Problem is exemplified by the rhetoric of Bernie Sanders. The independent turned quasi-Democrat whose failure to receive a majority of any social minority group including females and African Americans, was largely the reason he was unable to take the Democratic Nomination in 2016.

While remarking on the 2018 Gubernatorial race between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp in Georgia, Sanders noted that "there are a lot of white folks out there who are not necessarily racist who felt uncomfortable for the first time in their lives about whether or not they wanted to vote for an African-American." His remarks were roundly condemned for an apparent assumption that individuals who refuse to vote for African American leadership due to race alone, somehow should not be categorized as racist.

Bernie Sanders responded to backlash by noting that “Donald Trump, Brian Kemp and Ron DeSantis ran racist campaigns. One [advertisement] the Republicans put out was even rejected by Fox television because of its racist content... It is our job now to continue to offer an alternative to the hate-filled agenda of Trump and Republican operatives.”

To be clear, Sanders is incorrect. If a voter does not vote for an African American politician and the one and only reason they refused to vote for this individual is because that politician is black, that voter is in fact, racist. There really is not much wiggle room there. Instead of acknowledging a poorly chosen statement, Sanders attempted to shift the blame onto someone else.

The White Liberal Problem, including DiAangelo’s description of White Fragility, suggests this is because Sanders has cast himself as racially perfect. If someone else were to say, “not voting for black people because they are black, is not racist,” Bernie would hastily condemn them. But since Bernie believes his progressivism includes racial innocence on his part, he lacks the introspection to recognize this.

Not only this, Sanders makes a conscious effort to show a comparison between himself and the racist people he describes. There is a clear jab at Trump, Kemb and DeSantis, despite them not being the source of the controversy Sanders got himself into. It is in this manner that Sanders has found a way to say, “Look at me! I’m not racist!! They are the real racists!” instead of actually acknowledging the problems with his initial remark.

This example details how White Fragility fuses with an undeserved superiority complex to create a toxic environment for African Americans. It is damaging and patronizing, despite often being well intentioned. The White Liberal Problem is the kind of issue that is not easy to solve, especially since, as DiAngelo notes, much of the damage caused is not the result of malice.

It is not my goal in writing this piece to discourage progressives from participating in racial conversations. Quite the opposite, it is my goal to get more individuals to acknowledge and understand the biases they hold. Only by self-awareness and a conscious effort to acknowledge personal wrongdoing can a better world be enabled for minorities as well as the majority. But in our current climate, there are real issues that undermine what it should mean to really be a progressive and a liberal in the United States. Understanding personal discomfort as well as the White Liberal Problem, is a necessary step toward creating real progress and inclusivity.