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Reviews tagging 'War'
White Tears / Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad
10 reviews
kelleykamanda's review
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Gaslighting, Slavery, Racial slurs, Genocide, War, Sexual violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Death
Moderate: Islamophobia and Murder
Minor: Trafficking, Rape, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Forced institutionalization
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
5.0
There were so many moments in this that felt clarifying and relevant to us today. As I’ve struggled to identify *why* some of the rhetoric tossed around the internetright now is so frustrating and exhausting, Hamad gives us the words and context to better understand why and how these bad-faith arguments are used. In a moment that feels particularly timely for us now, she discusses the 2016 backlash against US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib when she spoke out about Hillary Clinton’s condemnation of Palestinians. Hamad pushes us to ask ourselves why we expect Black and brown women to be “team players” when the team explicitly works against them, and emphasizes that there is no sisterhood with white women when white feminism continues to prioritize proximity to white men over the liberation of all people. She shows us how the common arguments we see today (ie “why aren’t you denouncing terrorism” as a counter to advocacy for Palestinian freedom), misdirect and invalidate the oppression of Black and brown people by pivoting to argue that they are their own oppressors. This is not new, but it is pervasive, and Hamad challenges us to recognize these devices and how they’re weaponized to silence people of color.
Ultimately, this was a fast-paced read with a well-constructed thesis that is very relevant to our work and advocacy today.
Notes: this is largely cisnormative, and does not explicitly explore the additional intersections of marginalization experienced by trans, nonbinary and gender non-conforming people of color.
Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Islamophobia, and War
leahkarge's review
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Trafficking, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Torture, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Xenophobia, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Violence, Gun violence, Torture, Deportation, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Trafficking, and War
unsuccessfulbookclub's review
4.25
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Slavery, Violence, War, and Colonisation
savvylit's review
5.0
That's not to say that White Tears/Brown Scars is purely about betrayals of the past - it most certainly is not. Hamad discusses the past only to bolster the truth at the heart of this book: that even in modern life, a myth of white female innocence is just as common and damaging as ever. Using examples from real individuals, her own experience, and the media, Hamad outlines the ways that white women willfully use their tears and presumed "innocence" to dismiss and damage women of color. Time after time, white women have shown that if they're even mildly criticized for racist behavior, they will become belligerently sad and defensive. By taking a concern and transforming it into a personal attack, the focus of the argument then becomes centered solely on the white woman's feelings. If there's any sort of audience, other folks do their best to assuage the sad white woman. Thus, the initial concerns and distress of the person of color become completely forgotten. This is a collective delusion that gaslights women of color.
When white womanhood and its insidious associations of presumed innocence are continually prioritized and promoted, the "feminist" movement has failed. Hamad proves that equality among women is only achievable once white women are willing to acknowledge their complicity in upholding whiteness. Throughout history, whiteness has been a self-perpetuating power structure built on outright lies. We need to recognize the delusions that we continue to uphold & promote and stop centering white feelings in discussions of race.
Graphic: Slavery, Trafficking, Hate crime, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, Genocide, Gaslighting, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Racism, Genocide, Violence, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Death, Islamophobia, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Rape, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: War, Torture, and Classism
Eugenics, Colorism, Blackface, White supremacy, Lynchingemilia_digi's review
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Slavery, War, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Violence, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Child death, Racism, Rape, and Sexism
jaiari12's review
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Genocide, Islamophobia, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Death, Misogyny, Slavery, Torture, War, Xenophobia, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Trafficking, and Violence
lucilaroife's review
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Violence, War, and Xenophobia