Deborah, a Black woman, is one of DiAngelo’s co-workers. When traveling for work, DiAngelo suggested that they go to a rural part of northern Idaho for a relaxing weekend. Deborah notes that the town is near a place where the Aryan Nation—a white supremacist group—is building a compound, and in addition to that, Deborah does not want to be in an all-white environment. This exchange underscores how white supremacy is ingrained in the society, as DiAngelo doesn’t think twice about where to go and feels an innate sense of belonging, while Deborah has much less freedom of movement as a Black woman.
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Deborah Character Timeline in White Fragility
The timeline below shows where the character Deborah appears in White Fragility. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4
...dealing with racism. In addition, she has freedom of movement. Once, she invited her co-worker Deborah to get away for a weekend in northern Idaho. Deborah pointed out that the town...
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Chapter 12
...adds that the team isn’t always well-received, commenting that “the white people were scared by Deborah’s hair”—Deborah is a Black woman on DiAngelo’s team who wears her hair in locked braids.
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