Lauded white anti-racism scholar accused of ripping off the work of two Asian-American colleagues
America’s top anti-racism expert is accused of stealing the work of two Asian-American colleagues.
Robin DiAngelo, author of the influential text White Fragility, is alleged to have plagiarized several scientists, including minority writers, in her 2004 dissertation.
A complaint filed with the University of Washington and shared with the Washington Free Beacon, 20 examples were found where DiAngelo copied material from other articles without proper attribution.
This involved material from two Asian American professors: Stacey Lee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Thomas Nakayama, a professor at Northeastern University.
The allegations are particularly damaging for DiAngelo, 67, who has spoken about the need to recognize and attribute the work of other people, especially when it comes to often overlooked minorities.
Robin DiAngelo, author of the influential text White Fragility, is said to have plagiarized several scientists in her dissertation.
She rose to prominence with the publication of her 2018 New York Times bestseller White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism.
“It is never appropriate to use a secondary source without citing it, and even worse to present it as your own words,” said Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars. the exhaust.
“That’s plagiarism.”
DiAngelo, Nakayama, Lee and the university did not respond to The Mail’s request for comment.
The complaint drew attention to DiAngelo’s dissertation, titled “Whiteness in Racial Dialogue: A Discourse Analysis,” which formed the basis for her doctorate in education.
Large excerpts from her work are highlighted alongside the text she is accused of copying, with similarities highlighted in yellow.
According to the University of Washington, plagiarism is “the act of borrowing the structure of sentences or expressions from another author” without attributing a source, or citing a source but copying the words of another author without using quotation marks.
The scientist uses the title Dr. DiAngelo borrowed from that essay, calling himself an associate professor of education at the university.
She also charges tens of thousands of dollars to host sessions as an anti-racism consultant.
The report highlighted how DiAngelo’s website emphasized the importance of recognizing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (Bipoc) people and promoting their work.
“Promote the work and services of BIPOC people,” DiAngelo’s site reads.
“Channel work to BIPOC people. Seek out and choose BIPOC businesses and service providers. Co-lead paid work with BIPOC people when possible.”
Thomas Nakayama, a professor at Northeastern University, is one of the scientists whose work has reportedly been copied.
Another Asian American academic, Stacey Lee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is also alleged to have stolen her words
The Washington Free Beacon published the text that DiAngelo allegedly stole
It adds: “Always cite and credit the work of BIPOC people who have influenced your thinking. When you use a phrase or idea that you got from a BIPOC person, give them credit.”
DiAngelo rose to prominence with the publication of her 2018 New York Times bestseller White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism.
The book takes a hard look at the continued inability of white people to account for and redress past injustices against minorities, and laments the way they become defensive and vulnerable when called out on these issues.
It gained renewed interest and became a more mainstream concept in the summer of 2020, after the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis.
The term “white fragility” comes from DiAngelo’s dissertation.
“White fragility is a condition in which even the smallest amount of racial stress becomes unbearable and sets off a series of defensive movements,” DiAngelo wrote.
‘These movements include outwardly displaying emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as arguing, remaining silent, and leaving the stressful situation.’
The revelations followed several allegations of plagiarism against top Ivy League scientists.
Most notably, in 2023 the Free Beacon reported on dozens of allegations against then-Harvard President Claudine Gay, who was forced to resign in January.