WHITE WOMEN

An energetic call to action for White women to fight against inherent elements of White supremacist thought.

Via careful examination of their personal experiences and those of the other people of color who gave testimony for this book, Jackson and Rao unpack the ways in which White women’s treatment of people (particularly women) of color upholds White supremacy. The authors are clear and concise, making their points with no room for argument. They present readers with incontrovertible evidence of inherent racism and how “White silence is violence.” The authors also show how being nice can only get you so far, and White women must do the work to move beyond merely serving as an ally. “Allies don’t have any skin in the game; they are standing side by side in solidarity,” write the authors. “But you do have skin in the game—your white skin. Stop aspiring to be an ally—and good Lord, stop calling yourself an ally. Rather, be an accomplice. A partner, a collaborator, a co-conspirator. Anything but an ally.” Jackson and Rao not only call out the racism of White women on the behalf of people of color; they also call attention to the fact that White supremacy is detrimental to White people as well. At every step, the authors call for substantive action and for White women to move beyond simply sharing inspirational memes, giving thoughts and prayers, and believing that positivity and “colorblindness” will solve racism. The authors are especially astute in their investigation of the language regarding White supremacy, noting that “the words ‘privilege’ and ‘fragility’ are so mild—so moderate, so proper, so subtle—when you consider what they are describing, the work these things do, the heavy lifting in upholding violence against people of color.” The authors also append a helpful glossary of relevant terms, including microaggression, toxic positivity, and tone policing.

A highly insightful, useful text.