White Backlash

White backlash, also referred to in the literature as white rage, whitelash and white grievance, describes reactions among some white individuals or groups to social, economic or political changes involving race, reactions researchers connect to a perceived decline in relative social status, a loss of cultural influence, or a shift in political power following expansions of civil rights and new economic opportunities for other racial and ethnic groups. The scholars George Yancy and Robin DiAngelo are cited as prominent writers on the subject; Yancy characterizes strong negative reactions to discussions of racial inequality and white privilege as capable of including hostility, resistance to critique or, in more extreme cases, racist rhetoric or threats of violence, an interpretation that researchers sometimes contrast with the related concept of white fragility, which emphasizes defensive rather than overtly hostile responses. Although most of the scholarship centers on the United States, and specifically on the status of African Americans, researchers have examined comparable dynamics in the United Kingdom and in South Africa, particularly regarding the legacy of apartheid's system of racial segregation.