Robin DiAngelo, the self-proclaimed expert on “White fragility,” is facing serious allegations of plagiarism involving minority scholars. A complaint filed with the University of Washington details 20 instances of alleged copying in her 2004 doctoral thesis. The accusations are ironic, given DiAngelo’s reputation for lecturing White people on racism while building her career on the work of the very communities she claims to defend.
DiAngelo’s thesis allegedly plagiarizes content from Asian-American academics like Thomas Nakayama and Stacey Lee, with critics calling her actions a stark example of intellectual dishonesty. Peter Wood, president of the National Association of Scholars, argues that DiAngelo’s work amounts to “forgery” and calls into question her moral authority. Many see this as evidence of the hypocrisy in her relentless criticism of White people.
DiAngelo rose to prominence after George Floyd’s death, using her book White Fragility to blame “systemic racism” entirely on White people. Her approach has been widely adopted in corporate trainings and educational settings, spreading anti-White sentiments disguised as social justice.
However, these new allegations suggest that DiAngelo’s commitment to fighting racism is overshadowed by her willingness to profit from the very communities she claims to protect.
The controversy reveals a deeper flaw in the anti-White narrative that DiAngelo promotes. While she positions herself as a champion of minority voices, her alleged plagiarism shows that she may be more interested in advancing her career than in genuine racial equity. As the university reviews the complaint, questions about DiAngelo’s ethics are intensifying.
This case highlights a growing issue within the progressive movement: the exploitation of minority voices by those who claim to be allies. DiAngelo’s hypocrisy undermines her credibility, exposing how the anti-White industry often thrives on the very injustices it claims to combat.
