Robin DiAngelo, author of the infamous book “White Fragility,” was caught off guard when she was convinced to pay reparations to a black producer during an interview for Matt Walsh's upcoming documentary, Am I Racist?.
In the documentary, conservative commentator Matt Walsh goes undercover to explore modern discussions around race. During an interview with DiAngelo, who is known for her work on so-called white privilege and implicit bias, Walsh presented his black producer, Ben, as an opportunity for DiAngelo to engage in a direct discussion about race and reparations.
"This is Ben, a producer on the film. I thought it would be a powerful opportunity to speak directly to a person of color and confront our racism and also, apologize for the white supremacist systems that oppress Ben,” Walsh said to DiAngelo, as reported by the New York Post.
DiAngelo responded, saying, “On behalf of myself and my fellow white people, I apologize — it is not you, it is us. As long as I’m standing, I will do my best to challenge it.”
Walsh then offered to pay Ben reparations on the spot, to which Ben accepted. “I mean, I won’t turn it down,” he said. Walsh handed Ben cash from his wallet, remarking, “That doesn’t make up for 400 years of oppression, but it’s all that I have to give.”
Ben responded by acknowledging the gesture but added that he wasn’t sure if it could ever be enough while applauding Walsh for “putting in the work.”
Walsh then turned to DiAngelo and asked if she would like to do the same. Initially taken aback, DiAngelo called the situation “really weird.”
“I think reparations is like a systemic dynamic and approach,” she claimed. “I mean I think there may be some people who would be offended by [that].”
However, after some encouragement from Walsh to "allow ourselves to be uncomfortable," DiAngelo decided to participate.
“I don’t mind if that would be something that would be comfortable for you,” she stated, then got up to retrieve her wallet from her purse and hand Ben approximately $30.
“That’s all the cash I have,” DiAngelo said as Ben accepted the money, replying with a simple “thanks” and a smile.
DiAngelo has gained widespread attention for her book White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism and is a prominent speaker on "anti-bias" training and the belief that white people possess implicit racial biases. Seemingly unaware of who Walsh was or what the documentary is about, an earlier scene shows DiAngelo asking for some information followed by adding that she “has to be careful.”
The documentary Am I Racist? is set to be released in theaters on September 13.
