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ashamrock's review against another edition
5.0
Opened up a way for me to talk about my whiteness
I am married to a Latino and this book sparked the best conversation we’ve had on race. I finally got what he meant about being “oblivious” to power dynamics, prejudice and bias. How he didn’t have the length or depth of words to explain race and prejudice shaped his world to me. We talked about my defensiveness to his discussions of when white people did or do X and how it hurts him. It also gave me a path for me to do something about it. Not to feel bad about how white people had created these systems or try to prove “but not me”. Instead, to focus on what I can do to change the system and not rely on POC to help me feel better about my innocence in it. I will look to the POC leaders who are already leading this change but also talk openly in my white community about racial justice.
I am married to a Latino and this book sparked the best conversation we’ve had on race. I finally got what he meant about being “oblivious” to power dynamics, prejudice and bias. How he didn’t have the length or depth of words to explain race and prejudice shaped his world to me. We talked about my defensiveness to his discussions of when white people did or do X and how it hurts him. It also gave me a path for me to do something about it. Not to feel bad about how white people had created these systems or try to prove “but not me”. Instead, to focus on what I can do to change the system and not rely on POC to help me feel better about my innocence in it. I will look to the POC leaders who are already leading this change but also talk openly in my white community about racial justice.
justcollintosay's review against another edition
4.25
This is incredibly honest and insightful. I highly recommend.
zig_zaggie's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I listened to this on audiobook, sped up (as I always do with audiobooks), in full on one long run. This was awesome: it is conversational while being full of info, personal while being systems-minded, and focused on white people's use of racism while centering Black people. A very good listen, and I recommend this for good storytelling, thoughtful analysis, and practical application to not just churches, but most/any organization. The chapters feel distinct but also are scaffolding, and the interludes (e.g., a daily work schedule featuring continued racism) offer creative writing style "breaks" from the prose-based storytelling.
This includes many examples of Channing Brown's experiences in predominately white Christian groups/spaces. This worked well for me, but I appreciate that it's not a setting everyone wants to read about. If you are on the fence about reading a book with overt Christian themes, I'll just offer that I think a lot of her analysis applies to most organizations, a good chunknof this book is not explicitly aboht churches or religion, and by my read it's really only chapter 13 that was more explicitly in-the-weeds theological (regarding Christian ideas of reconciliation).
Some ideas explored here that will especially stick with me include the ways in which white people pointing out their (and others') racism directly to Black people does not always feel helpful and is instead sometimes sad and hurtful, the precarious balance and coming-and-going of hope in a racist country/world/faith, and the importance and challenge of Black identity/spiritual development in predominately white spaces.
The audiobook is read by the author, which I also appreciated - great narration.
This includes many examples of Channing Brown's experiences in predominately white Christian groups/spaces. This worked well for me, but I appreciate that it's not a setting everyone wants to read about. If you are on the fence about reading a book with overt Christian themes, I'll just offer that I think a lot of her analysis applies to most organizations, a good chunknof this book is not explicitly aboht churches or religion, and by my read it's really only chapter 13 that was more explicitly in-the-weeds theological (regarding Christian ideas of reconciliation).
Some ideas explored here that will especially stick with me include the ways in which white people pointing out their (and others') racism directly to Black people does not always feel helpful and is instead sometimes sad and hurtful, the precarious balance and coming-and-going of hope in a racist country/world/faith, and the importance and challenge of Black identity/spiritual development in predominately white spaces.
The audiobook is read by the author, which I also appreciated - great narration.
heidipolkissa82's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0