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Reviews tagging 'Racism'
White Tears / Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad
69 reviews
sneaky_snake22's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A really great narrative that every white woman should read. Very eye opening and informative.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
wanderlust_romance's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This is the kind of nonfiction that I just eat right up. White Tears/Brown Scars was the perfect balance between personal reflections and experiences from the author and intricately and insightfully woven historical examples to illuminate the myriad of harms caused by patriarchy, colonization, capitalism (et al) on Black and POC bodies. Incorporating work by thought leaders such as Edward Said and Audre Lorde, Hamad roots the origins of white patriarchal harm in a way that makes these ideas clear and conceptually approachable for non-academic readers. And quite frankly, I loved that Hamad never shied away from calling attention to the fact that so many WW are more concerned with "not appearing" racist than with being held accountable for the harm they cause in professional, academic, and social settings. I sometimes struggle to digest nonfiction in its audio format, but it is a testament to Hamad's exceptional writing that the information presented is clear, cohesive, and flowed so well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Slavery, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Racism, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, and Sexism
folkofthebook's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
4.5
White women can oscillate between their gender and their race, between being the oppressed and the oppressor. Women of color are never permitted to exist outside of these constraints: we are both women and people of color and we are always seen and treated as such.
an insightful and eye-opening critique and history of white imperialism, capitalism, racism, & feminism spanning the globe.
i would recommend all my white moots add this to their tbr.
an insightful and eye-opening critique and history of white imperialism, capitalism, racism, & feminism spanning the globe.
i would recommend all my white moots add this to their tbr.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Racism
effortlesslybookishbre_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Rape, Violence, Racism, and Hate crime
nikkipoulin's review
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Classism, Gaslighting, Racism, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Slavery, and Xenophobia
maddie_can_read's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Great discussion of race and gender issues and how white feminism does not equate to feminism for all. I think this would be a really great introduction to intersectionality for women.
I thought the beginning was very strong, the discussion of archetypes and their history, the inclusion of modern and historical examples, and including the perspectives of different women.
I think the structure of the book might have been improved by having more chapters that were shorter. And some of the chapters did not seem as strong as others and some chapters could've been a bit tighter.
I thought the beginning was very strong, the discussion of archetypes and their history, the inclusion of modern and historical examples, and including the perspectives of different women.
I think the structure of the book might have been improved by having more chapters that were shorter. And some of the chapters did not seem as strong as others and some chapters could've been a bit tighter.
‘White’ is better understood as an indication of racial privilege: who is considered white is less about how pale they are (many Arabs have fair skin) and more about whether they are the right kind of pale. Whiteness is more than skin colour.
White women can oscillate between their gender and their race, between being the oppressed and the oppressor. Women of colour are never permitted to exist outside of these constraints: we are both women and people of colour and we are always seen and treated as such.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Slavery, Sexual violence, Violence, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexism, Confinement, Islamophobia, and Racial slurs
kelleykamanda's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Incredible, insightful, timely, and accessible- highly recommend
Content Warnings
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
persnickety_9's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Colonisation
booknerderika's review
informative
reflective
5.0
I could list quote after quote of this book, but instead I will urge everyone to read it!
Hamad so eloquently put into words the struggles women of color have to deal with. She also provides historical evidence as to the inception of the racist caricatures created by white people and their racist behaviors towards people of color.
Hamad so eloquently put into words the struggles women of color have to deal with. She also provides historical evidence as to the inception of the racist caricatures created by white people and their racist behaviors towards people of color.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Hate crime, Murder, Sexual assault, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Bullying, Sexism, Slavery, and Toxic friendship
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color, by Ruby Hamad is a book to read right now if you, like me, put it off for far too long. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Mozhan Marnò, and highly recommend it if you enjoy nonfiction on audio. Hamad deftly examines the racist and colonialist narratives used to define Black and brown women as *not women* at worst and *less than white women* at best. She explores the intersections of gender and race that have subjugated non-white women to the lowest realm of inclusion and agency, and she explicitly outlines how white women have made this possible at every juncture.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Islamophobia, and War