Reviews

I liked the call to actions and the focus on the harm white women cause and the long road of work we have to do.

I got a little lost at the spiritual/yoga parts. And I listened to the audiobook version. I've seen this author talk before and she is very dynamic and engaging. This audiobook seemed like she was reading someone else's so it was a lot harder to stay engaged.

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

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5.0

This a great book by Canadian racial justice activist, Rachel Rickett aimed at white, CIS women + who are interested in acting in allyship to support Black and Indigenous women + not just survive but thrive under the current global systems of white supremacy. Rachel does a really good job laying out and explaining terminology and sharing her own personal experiences with racism, gaslighting, white exceptionalism and “white wildness” (active and passive acts of aggression towards BIPOC people). Rachel asks a lot of probing, thought-provoking questions throughout the book designed to help people examine the harmful actions we make daily. Her program of spiritual activism is meant to be “an active opportunity to observe and accept yourself and your role in perpetuating white supremacy for what it is.” I didn’t find the book too preachy or condescending but coming from a legitimate place of love and hope for positive change. She emphasizes that “unpacking white supremacy and its impact is triggering on a mental, spiritual, emotional and physical level. It takes courage, bravery and resilience and is daily, lifelong work.” This is a book to refer back to continually as we keep striving to act better, by calling out acts of racism we witness, amplifying and supporting BIPOC people and businesses in tangible ways whenever possible and being encouraging and inclusive daily. This is a great addition to other racial justice awareness books like Austin Channing Brown’s I’m still here, Brittany Cooper’s Eloquent rage and Heather McGhee’s The sum of us. Highly recommend everyone buy and read this book!

emilosophy's review

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challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

katscribefever's review

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4.0

It feels dishonest to say I "completed" this book, because I don't think I could ever truly be able to make that claim. This book is CHALLENGING; Ricketts writes forcefully and with a wealth of knowledge and history that I will never be able to begin to absorb or process. Having said that, I must make it clear that what she has done with this book, while being incredibly tough to read, is nothing short of remarkable. Tackling various life encounters of herself, her mother, and others in her ancestry, sharing how those traumas have had physiological effects on those ancestors that have been passed down and still live within her own body, explaining ways she has learned to battle against the damage those traumas have continued to cause, giving countless examples of specific ways in which people all across the human spectrum can use their positions for good--and the specific ways in which different groups should NOT be behaving--well, it's an exhausting read. One that I can't imagine carrying around in my own head and heart, much less trying to express to anyone else. yet Ricketts does just that. This book was yet another reminder that, when it comes to racial justice and healing, my work will never be completed and will always have so much room for improvement.

amandakitz's review

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5.0

Highly recommend, especially to white women, especially those with a spiritual bent. Rachel has given her experience, education, and pain to coach folks on the path to anti-racism and her writing is clear, deeply honest, and challenging. I went to her book release event with Chani Nicholas and she is a powerhouse of a human being, and her book reflects that. I want to give a copy of this book to every white woman I know.

parksystems's review

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1.0

read audre lorde, angela davis, bell hooks and radical community organizers in your area. don't waste your time on this. grueling to get thru- the un-self aware class privilege, lack of intersectional critical faculties and opportunistic self promotion is off the charts.

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