--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a social concept, 'white' is profound…" description: "\"As a social concept, 'white' is profound in its meaning. It means people who either come from or appear to come from Europe, but it's necessarily a con..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/robin-diangelo-10183_europe_as-a-social-concept-white-is-profound-in_748092.jpg" --- # As a social concept, 'white' is profound in its meaning… ![“As a social concept, 'white' is profound in its meaning. It means people who either come from or appear to come from Europe, but it's necessarily a construct of oppression.” quote by Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/robin-diangelo-10183_europe_as-a-social-concept-white-is-profound-in_748092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/robin-diangelo-10183_europe_as-a-social-concept-white-is-profound-in_748092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/robin-diangelo-10183_europe_as-a-social-concept-white-is-profound-in_748092.jpg) > “As a social concept, 'white' is profound in its meaning. It means people who either come from or appear to come from Europe, but it's necessarily a construct of oppression.” [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The concept of “white” is a social construct tied to historical oppression and identity. **In simple terms:** White identity is socially built and linked to power. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge racial constructs. Themes race identity power constructs Mood critical analytical Type sociological educational When to use this quote - education - workplace - media - policy making Key Concepts Critical race theory social psychology Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions about race do you hold? - How can you confront systemic oppression? A Different Perspective Constructs can be resisted but may persist subtly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Concept White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concept-white-5122435/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Social Concept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-concept-5825572/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [White Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-profound-5825571/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [The concept with Off-White is that I have no ideal target. It's more about trying to make something for everyone. 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Every time a politician talks, they talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/why-can-t-we-have-a-voice-what-s-the-difference-between-an-athlete/) [Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-abdul-rauf/) > [As a matter of fact, compromise is what oppression feeds on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/as-a-matter-of-fact-compromise-is-what-oppression-feeds-on/) [Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/) > [The oppressed without hope are mysteriously quiet. When the conception of change is beyond the limits of the possible, there are no words to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-rowbotham/the-oppressed-without-hope-are-mysteriously-quiet-when-the-conception/) [Sheila Rowbotham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-rowbotham/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [Poor and afflicted and oppressed people have faces, and we are required to look squarely into them. We can't love what we won't experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mairs/poor-and-afflicted-and-oppressed-people-have-faces-and-we-are/) [Nancy Mairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mairs/) > [“Equality of condition and equality of opportunity must provide the foundation of an interdependent nation with building blocks found in dignity and respect given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-banks-lewis/equality-of-condition-and-equality-of-opportunity-must-provide-the/) [Julie Banks Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-banks-lewis/) > [“All struggles against oppression in the modern woeld begin by redefining what had previously been consideered private, non-public and non-political issues as matters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyla-benhabib/all-struggles-against-oppression-in-the-modern-woeld-begin-by/) [Seyla Benhabib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyla-benhabib/) > [Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/single-acts-of-tyranny-may-be-ascribed-to-the-accidental-opinion-of-a/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ \[U\]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shulamith-firestone/u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together-and-on-alliances-of-self/) [Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shulamith-firestone/) > [Oppression that is clearly inexorable and invincible does not give rise to revolt but to submission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/oppression-that-is-clearly-inexorable-and-invincible-does-not-give/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Oppression is something that one group of people commits against another group specifically because of a threatening characteristic shared by the latter group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/oppression-is-something-that-one-group-of-people-commits-against/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) ## More by Robin DiAngelo > [We whites who position ourselves as liberal often opt to protect what we perceive as our moral reputationsrather than recognize or change our participation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/we-whites-who-position-ourselves-as-liberal-often-opt-to-protect-what/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [Denying that race matters is irrational in the face of segregation and all of the other forms of obvious racial inequity in society... Maintaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-diangelo/denying-that-race-matters-is-irrational-in-the-face-of-segregation/) [Robin DiAngelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-diangelo/) > [White people are very wily when it comes to race. 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It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. 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Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“Conservatism aims to maintain in working order the loyalties of the community to perceived truths and also to those truths which in their judgment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr-2/conservatism-aims-to-maintain-in-working-order-the-loyalties-of-the/) [William F. 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