ABSTRACT
Although Catharine A. MacKinnon’s (1997) discussion above is part of an argument for a more expansive understanding of what it means to be a woman and the very narrow ways the academy and legal scholars define “woman,” it also points to a behavior found in white womanhood that is particularly problematic for women of Color in the academy-crying on the part of White women in professional settings. I am referring particularly to the tears that erupt in conversations involving race. During difficult dialogues, challenging moments that call into question her commitment to equity or shed some light on what others might perceive as her bias, every White woman has one weapon that can shut a meeting down in mere seconds, thus ending an uncomfortable moment (for her) while ushering in anger and resentment from women of Color in the room. Many of us know that the moment a White woman begins to cry during a meeting, no matter the significance of the issue prior to the waterworks, the meeting is over. Often, the issue under discussion is never re-introduced for fear of more tears and discomfort.
