A South Burlington High School student’s message about “white fragility” is getting noticed in a big way.
Isaiah Hines, the 18-year-old senior who pushed the school board to abandon the Rebel nickname, became a viral hit this week for the race-related Facebook post. It’s also the latest virtual tussle over the controversial school name, which a group called the Rebel Alliance has staunchly defended.
Hines, who is black, posted a long retort last week to someone who circulated a photo that shows him in school standing next to a projected image of a slideshow that reads, “White People Are Fragile.” Christy Fay posted the image online and wrote, “THIS is considered acceptable in our high school?”
The short answer, according to Hines, is yes. Someone took the photo last school year as he presented about white fragility as part of a final project for his AP psychology class. Westfield State University professor Robin DiAngelo came up with the phrase, said Hines, who got the OK to discuss the topic from his teacher before presenting.
“It refers to a mental state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive actions and biological responses,” he wrote in his post. “It is a well-documented psychological phenomenon and it was entirely appropriate for the assignment.”
Hines posted his message on May 25. After the first day, it had been shared some 1,000 times. As of Friday afternoon, Facebook users had “reacted” to the post 54,000 times, shared it more than 42,000 times and commented 7,000 times.
People have contacted Hines from South Africa and Vietnam, among other places, to tell him how much his message has meant to them.
“I’m pretty excited,” Hines told Seven Days. “I think it’s pretty cool that my presentation has resonated with so many people all across the world. The reaction I’ve seen has been primarily positive.”
His classmates, too, found it enlightening, according to Hines, who said the most negative reaction came from those opposed to the name change.
“I did find it just a little funny how many of the people responding to this image with anger or indignation are actually displaying the psychological concept in action!” he wrote in his post. “It is absolutely possible to break the cycle and challenge or question this theory without engaging in the problematic behaviors associated with white fragility. However, it seems many people will still surrender to white fragility and become needlessly defensive and angry rather than engaging in constructive dialogue.”
Fay, who originally posted Hines’ photo, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hines has been at the center of the Rebels debate since he began a campaign to change the name on the grounds that it alludes to the Confederacy and thus has a racist connotation. The school board in February voted to change the name and added money to the school budget to wipe “Rebels” from school playing fields, banners and uniforms.
The Rebel Alliance has urged its supporters to vote down the school budget. The city will try on Tuesday for the third time to pass a spending plan — but the battle is fierce.
Signs urging both yes and no votes have sprouted on front lawns and along South Burlington thoroughfares as the vote nears. Both sides have accused the other of stealing signs. And supporters of each have raised money to do political battle.
The VOTE YES 2017 group has raised $5,390 and spent $4,010 for its cause, according to campaign finance forms filed May 26. The Rebel Alliance group has raised $4,240 and spent $3,225, the filings show.
Both sides have spent most of their cash on newspaper advertisements, yard signs and other supplies, according to the reports.
The students at the high school, meanwhile, recently voted to rename the mascot the Wolves. While Hines voted for the Dolphins, he said, he’s happy to have even gotten to this point.
“The kids are so beyond it, and it’s just being dragged out,” Hines told Seven Days of the name change.
“I’ve been saying this the whole time: The kids, the actual students, are so much more adaptable and more mature than the adults,” Hines added. “I had friends who liked the Rebel name, but they were so understanding and willing to see it from another perspective — which I think the adults could do more of.”
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We are told that African Americans are constantly subject to racism and that unless you are AA you cannot possibly perceive it and know how it feels. With so little understanding of it, a non-AA has no standing to talk about race. At the same time, if you are a non-AA, talking about race makes you so uncomfortable that you cannot bring yourself to do so and you are considered “fragile.” So a non-AA is not permitted to talk about race, but if the non-AA does not talk about race, then it is because he or she suffers from the mental condition known as “white fragility.” Only those steeped in critical studies can possibly understand this. If you are not, don’t even try.
How much white fagility would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck white fragility?
Wow. The Seven Says censorship committee is working overtime on Friday night. Congratulations for preventing free speech to whomever the little millennial is at the keyboard.
I guess you can only post here if you hate yourself and buy into the white fragility fable.
All these silly people offering “kudos” and calling Hines’ nonsense “leadership” are amusing. Amazing how many people fall over each other to be tools in the political correctness religion. Anyone exercising actual thought knows the silly “white fragility” nonsense lacks any kind of critical thinking and is pure henscratch. People like these lemmings cannot have an actual conversation on racism or the lack thereof, so they employ effusive accolades in an attempt to show how PC and cool and hip they are. Get a clue. Self-hate is still hate. Yawn.
Isaiah, the only rebel in this matter. His intelligent and articulate response was shared w/ all our family as a model of just plain awesomeness. Kudos to his parents. Kudos to SB schools. Vote yes.
I hope Hines gets full rides to all the ivys. He is demonstrating the kind of leadership and intelligence we want to encourage and foster in society.
A VERY quick online searched revealed “About 8,750,000 results” for the term “White Fragility,” Perhaps it’s not “a well-documented psychological phenomenon”, but it’s pretty damn popular!
Right on. Obviously,those upset with the change and the concept of white fragility don’t understand irony either.
“It is a well-documented psychological phenomenon.” Dear Young Mr Hines, with all due respect, my graduate and post graduate studies revealed no such well-documented phenomenon. Were I cynical I might think that you may be enjoying your 15 minutes of fame (also not a well documented, but commonly assumed psychological phenomenon), but I am not.