Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

White Tears / Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad

42 reviews

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.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Slavery, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Racism, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, and Sexism

effortlesslybookishbre_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Rape, Violence, Racism, and Hate crime

nikkipoulin's review

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

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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.

‘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.

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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 

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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

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. 

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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

leahkarge's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

lizziaha's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Colonisation, Genocide, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Sexism, Islamophobia, Rape, and Religious bigotry

lottiegasp's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Colonisation, and Racism

Moderate: Trafficking, Genocide, and Slavery

Minor: Rape and Mass/school shootings

The whole book is about racism and white supremacy, including histories of it and how it plays out in modern society. It would be a challenging read for people of colour, so make sure you are in the right headspace.

ellaniji's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Classism, Genocide, Homophobia, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Slavery, Sexism, Rape, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Body shaming, and Racism

Since this book is about white feminism, rasism and sexism are central in this book.