Reviews with content warning for Rape - White Tears / Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color

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.

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leahkarge's review

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4.0

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lizziaha's review against another edition

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5.0

For a relatively short book, this packed a punch! I thought going into this that it would focus in on Black women, but it covered a wide array of experiences from BIPOC people and featured a lot of diversity in examples as well. The writing style was engaging while still leaving room for me to reflect on my own experiences as a white woman in a position of societal power. Definitely a must-read.

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lottiegasp's review

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challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

4.75

This is a really important book for everyone to read- for white women to dismantle our weaponised white tears, for women of colour to better recognise and articulate the insidious ways that white womanhood and white feminism are used against them, and for people of other genders and any race to become better allies to women of colour against racism.

The book's first section is quite slow as it outlines a lot of history of colonialism, the ways that women of colour in particular were treated and portrayed, and the role that white women played in perpetuating white supremacy. I think it was important context, but it was more challenging so I suggest readers start reading when they have a good amount of headspace to properly digest it. For people who find reading history more challenging, it does become a bit easier to digest in Part 2 as it discusses racism and whiteness in the modern context. If you are white, it is well worth pushing through even if you find it challenging. Some people of colour will know much of the content so it might not be worth retraumatising yourself, however according to some testimonials in the book, it may help you put words to some experiences you've had but not appreciated as so prevalent and insidious.

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