THE WHITE ALLIES HANDBOOK

A librarian and anti-racism educator offers would-be White allies lessons in how to lift up Black women and begin healing the cancer of American racism.

For Whites serious about being allies to African Americans, “words aren’t enough.” Adding hashtags to a social media site or acknowledging that the Black Lives Matter movement is important does nothing to change the systemic injustices that Black Americans—and especially Black women—face every day. Michelle provides a step-by-step guide for committed Whites to evolve beyond race “fragility” and take the hard, sometimes painful actions the author sees as determinants of true allyship. She divides the book into four sections, each representing one week in an ally crash course. The first week begins with learning to recognize one’s own racism and giving Black women the opportunity to take the lead in expressing their feelings, struggles, and discontents, no matter the discomfort on the part of allies. The next step consists of seeing and discussing how race privileges White people and how unexamined relationships with White men support White supremacy. White allies must then actively seek to educate friends, family, and everyone in their sphere about racism and be prepared to fight against push back. They must also use their privilege, especially in mixed-race groups, to prioritize Black women and grant them the space to speak their truths while inspiring other Whites to follow their lead. For every action she details, Michelle offers ideas for journaling and sharing with accountability partners, books and websites to (self-)educate, and starter questions for honest conversations in anti-racism “affinity groups.” Though it focuses mostly on Black women, this timely, no-nonsense handbook offers an important blueprint for White allies to carry out the often uncomfortable but necessary work of promoting racial equality among all marginalized people. Michelle’s work is a useful complement to Sophie Williams’ Anti-Racist Ally and, for parents, Britt Hawthorne’s Raising Antiracist Children.

Welcome straight talk for a new age in race relations.