The Anti-Racism Journal: Questions and Practices to Move Beyond Performative Allyship

To say this book is life-changing, is an understatement. Faitth doesn’t hold back even in the introduction. She identifies and walks us through many hold ups and barriers that as white people, often stop us from moving from performative allyship to being an authentic ally that listens to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with humility. We as white people need to think before we talk and act. We need to think about what’s going on inside of us and how our conversations and actions impact the people we think we are trying to “help.” This book is giving us space for that. Faitth provides targeted questions and the space to work through it privately or with a group of friends. My best advice is to be okay with being uncomfortable and to answer the questions honestly. It is only yourself you are answering to. The more honest you are the better healing and growth you’ll have. Also, give yourself time to work through your answers. Each section comes with photos, space to journal, and a homework section. This book is a great next step!

Do not skip this one. It is a lie that your feelings about your racism are more important than the damage caused by your racism. It is a lie that those feelings must be accomodated, or engaged, by your friends of color who are hurt by your racism. But it’s simultaneously true that your feelings are a necessary step in dismantling your racism, and that it’s really difficult to work through those feelings without a safe space and a lot of compassion. This journal provides you that compassionate safe space, along with the expertise of a professional, Christian, Black woman, so you can expose your racism and your friends of color don’t have to be there while the dust settles.

Faitth broke the segments into a very well-thought-out compliment sandwich. Reminding us to be aware of our body’s reactions, emotions & digging into understanding defensiveness – and how it plays into a perpetual effort in anti-racist activism, then diving into the past (the “here’s what you need to work on” meat of the sandwich) and then a call to action reminding us of the power we hold to create change. If you’re having trouble with getting out of a defensive stance – imagine yourself as an 8 y.o. child asking the daily questions to a parent or grandparent or teacher & getting dismissed. It softens the blow a little to them step back and imagine a child asking you the same questions – and it changes your kindness (to yourself) in the introspection & research into our own internalized racism. Highly recommend! Her social work / activism skills are noticeable throughout the section intros & greatly appreciated. PS- It isn’t easy & you will probably cry. But it’s worth the effort.

You can see how much love, work and energy was put into this journal. It’s so thorough yet concise on steps towards becoming an effective anti-racist! You really learn to hold yourself accountable 🙂