NB: Accepted version; proofs not yet received Frangible Whiteness: Teaching Race in the Context of White Fragility Marcia D. Nichols, University of Minnesota Rochester Jennifer A. Wacek, University of Minnesota Rochester Some semesters we begin with a simple exercise--we ask students to close their eyes and imagine “an American.” Then we ask them to write a description of the person they saw in their minds. Afterwards, we ask students to share what they wrote. Someone will raise a hand and begin reading a description of a white man. So will the next volunteer. And the next. After the third or fourth repetition, realization dawns across the class that almost everyone, regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity, described nearly the same middle-class, white man. This leads to the first of many uncomfortable discussions--Why? Why does “American” mean a white man for so many of us? Why is his whiteness--and maleness and class--privileged? What are the implications and repercussions for the great many people in this country who do not share his race, his gender, his class? Are non-white people (or non-male) people less “American”? This is one of the many discussions we have in our introductory literature courses about race and privilege despite the fact that teaching race and the history of race in America remains a controversial topic. Many educators have faced severe backlash both inside the classroom and from their administrations for attempting to teach critical race theory. i Often, this backlash can be attributed to “white fragility” as articulated by Robin DiAngelo. DiAngelo defines white fragility as “a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions