Community College of Vermont. The Deafening Silence of Whites

White silence is experienced by members of the White culture who, during discussions of racial issues, experience negative emotions including guilt and anger. When these feelings are not addressed, Whites begin to resist certain content areas. This resistance takes on the form of White silence. Using interviews, the researcher explored the concept of White silence through the lived experiences of three African American students at a mid-size public institution. I want you to say it because then at least I know who I’m dealing with. It’s when you don’t say it, that’s when I get suspicious of you... I don’t know when they’re looking at me what they’re thinking... I want to be connected to this person. I want to know who you are. (Tom, an African American college student) White silence is experienced by members of the White culture who, during discussions of racial tension, experience emotions ranging from shame and guilt to anger and despair. When these feelings are not addressed, White students begin to resist talking about certain topics such as race and privilege. This resistance is called White silence (Tatum, 1992). In her book, Names We Call Home: Autobiography on Racial Identity, Frankenberg (1996) described her experience with White silence as a time “when I was terrified to speak in gatherings that were primarily of color, since I feared that anything I did say would be marked by my whiteness, my racial privilege (which in my mind mean