What Does it Mean to be White in America?: Breaking the White Code of Silence, A Collection of Personal Narratives (2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY)
$29.99
Specification: What Does it Mean to be White in America?: Breaking the White Code of Silence, A Collection of Personal Narratives (2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY)
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14 reviews for What Does it Mean to be White in America?: Breaking the White Code of Silence, A Collection of Personal Narratives (2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY)
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What Does it Mean to be White in America?: Breaking the White Code of Silence, A Collection of Personal Narratives (2LP EXPLORATIONS IN DIVERSITY)
$29.99
c. raymond –
This book fills a much needed gap in the study of racial literacy. It will be an especially useful text, I believe, in college courses — where so many white students lack the ability to imagine, much less think analytically about, the reasons to understand their raced position in capitalist systems. Tara Betts’s afterword is, in itself, a reason to get this book. The size and scope of What Does it Mean to Be White in America shape an important document, and a very timely one, when we are so in need of new ways forward.
Julie C. Wang –
Thoughtful essays by white Americans on white privilege and their responses to ongoing and overt racism in America.
George Mahoney –
In 1949 as a freshman in high school in the California Bay area, I was a member of the”Pachuco’s”, a group of teenage Mexican hoodlums who accepted me in spite of being a”Gringo”. Our weekend entertainment was to pile in a ’39 Buick, 6 – 7 at a time, and drive to EastOakland to find a small group of Tinto Cabrones” (Black expletive) and chase them, usually withlittle physical contact, until one day a young black man turned and knocked me on my keister. Ithen decided this was not my life as a privileged white boy. I’m not sure had I read this group ofessays my life would have been different, but I hope my grandchildren will profit. One essay inparticular stuck in my heart- page 323 – Liza Pearl. I am grateful to the contributors, editors, andthe publisher for their hard work in bringing this work to life, and I hope it gets the attention itdeserves.
S. Polishuk –
This book should be read by every American, white, black or any other color. I was surprised how honest these writers were whether writing of their pain at confronting their white-skin privilege or showing their racism. It runs the gamut and that’s what’s so great about it. The essays are mostly quite short, mostly very well written and, best of all, made me really think and examine my own beliefs and privilege.
Thoughtful Reader –
This book is a must read for all people of color. I am African-American and have had the opportunity and experience of working against racism for over 50 years. One challenge has always been developing sufficient empathy and trust in the Euro-American allies who I have encountered along the way. The struggle resulted from a discounting of their pain in comparison with my own. As I read “What does it mean to be White in America” the fog lifted. I expect that my collaborations will come more easily in the future and our work together to dismantle White supremacy will be more effective. The pain of being White is as palpable as the pain of being Black, Brown. Yellow, or Red in America. Read this book and enable yourself to better understand and care about our allies.Robert L. Atwell, Psy.D.Past President of the Association of Black Psychologists
marciam –
I didn’t have to read this book; I chose to, and I’m glad I did. Being white in America weighs heavily on me—as it does for so many of us, even if we don’t all feel or talk about it in the same way—and exposing those differences may be the book’s greatest value. Just as the black experience in America is not monolithic, neither is the experience of being white. While some of the essays describe a dawning awareness of white privilege, unintended racism, and discomfort with that knowledge, others provide a startling wakeup call from white Americans who feel resentful, angry, and hurt.The takeaway for me, a white, Jewish, New York woman in my 60s, is that there’s much more than race that determines how white Americans perceive ourselves or Americans of color: geography, class, and ethnicity all play a role. I’ve witnessed and experienced prejudice from both sides of the divide, but I know that being white overrides many other variables. One essay reminds us that James Baldwin said “Being white means never having to think about it.” I don’t usually wonder whether I’m being treated one way or another because of my race, but I know that if I were black, I would think about it all the time. My despair over that disparity is why I choose to read about it and talk about it, and fervently hope to change it.The writers in this book tackle their feelings of bewilderment, shame, anger, and concern, sometimes with disturbing overlap…but isn’t that complexity what it truly means to be white in America? The essays are revealing, heartfelt, and true, and are valuable for any discussion of race in America. I heartily recommend “What Does It Mean To Be White In America” to anyone who plans to participate in that discussion.
Holly M. Fulton –
The reason I have been so taken by these personal narratives is because the editors chose a very diverse group of white people who give a variety of perspectives, beliefs, and experiences related to the concept of being white today in the U.S. They are not all racial justice activists. Christina Berchini brilliantly writes about why the book seriously breaks an old rule: “Don’t talk about being white.” as the reader learns from her about different primers and rules people grew up with and hold today. I have been a teacher and Samuel Tanner’s “White People are Crazy” as well as a few other stories helped me better grasp what goes on in the classroom concerning this topic and how teachers and students are addressing and struggling with it. In reading the book I learned a great deal more about my white identity and noticed my personal challenges. The bottom line: This book is a necessary “wake-up call” that should get a great deal of attention and bring up very needed dialogues.
johnny buyer –
This is a collection of essays written by White people about their experience of being White, or becoming aware of their Whiteness. There are 82 of these essays. I have had the chance to read some of them. I find them very engaging and insightful.There is also an introductory chapter that discusses racial theory and language used to talk about racism. This will be useful for folks who have not read widely in this area, to understand better how the 83 authors are talking.For any of us White Americans who have awakened to Race in America, we work to understand what has happened to us, and is continuing to happen as we participate in and express our own Racism. For me, reading these has been like a dialog that helps me reflect on my life, and gives me inspiration to develop my own story, and deepen my understanding.At 680 pages this book will be a long read, taken in bites with lots of meditation inbetween. I will be living with it for a while.
Mary Popeo –
A friend of mine recommended this book to me. At first I was a bit intimidated by the sheer length of the book, but after opening it I realized that it is broken into numerous short essays representing a range of experiences of being white in America. This book is teaching me so much!
Bonniebelle –
Big book I’m reading in increments, each essay or memoir something that long after haunts the mind. Kind and shocking in places at the same time. Insight and stupidity. Everyday lives of prejudice and predicament. The towering presence of ancestors on behavior and thought.
Cindy O’Brien –
When I saw the title of this anthology, I first thought, “Does the dominant race in this country really need another platform to highlight itself? To put itself front and center?”I am a nearly 60-year-old white-skinned female, embarrassed to admit that I arrived late to the recognition of my white privilege. And since that arrival, have been on a bender to explore the experiences from people of color, not stories from those of my own kind.But then I began to read these essays. Personal. Political. Informative. Uncomfortable. Confessional. Angry. Frustrated. Polished. Unpolished. Offensive. Affirming. Challenging. Essays that reveal the many shades of “white” in this country. Shades foreign to me. From shades that explore the most overt examples of systemic racism, to the shades of quiet self-awareness in seeing one’s own surprising racism.With each essay I read, the answer to my question came clear: yes, the dominant race – or at least me — does need this kaleidoscope of histories and experiences. If I do not understand, or see, the diversity within my own color, how can I really understand the diversity in all colors?This anthology does not replace my fervor to read the writings from people of color; it is now their companion.This is not a quick read. It is not an easy read. But it is an important read. A read I will revisit time and again.
Kathryn Rosenberg –
A valuable resource for White allies looking to engage in the race conversation in a productive and honest way. This book, the brainchild of editors Gabrielle David and Sean Frederick Hayes, asks White Americans to share personal narratives acknowledging and discussing their Whiteness. White silence on the topic of race (and racism) prevents us, as a nation, from healing and repairing the terrors we and our ancestors have wrought. This book gives us what we need to read, listen, learn, and then – start to speak out.
C J. Garrison –
I am a contributor so I’m most definitely bias…but anyone interested in an authentic conversation about race should read this anthology.
Karen D. Heasley –
Have not read the entire book but love the foundation of the book and great so far.