Reviews tagging 'Violence'

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

21 reviews

unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition

challenging informative fast-paced

4.25

In White Tears/Brown Scars, Ruby Hamad investigates and elaborates on how white feminism has hurt and continues to hurt BIPOC the world over. Ahmad’s particularly compelling argument is that white women have simultaneously played both damsels in distress and arbiters of power since European colonialism began. A microcosm of this behavior is regularly captured in videos of white women who start confrontations with BIPOC as aggressors (calling the cops on people having a barbecue, for instance) and end the video in tears, claiming they are being threatened. The key takeaway for me here is that *this is not new behavior* and white women, historically, have clung to power first (through whiteness) and called on the “sisterhood” of feminism only when it benefitted their proximity to power. I have personally witnessed behavior like this many times and as a young person, was absolutely socialized to use my tears as a weapon. It’s something I continue to work hard to unlearn.

I enjoyed Hamad’s more global perspective. Most of the books I have read on racial and social justice have been centered on US problems and examples, so Ruby’s Australian voice was welcome. My biggest critique of this book is Hamad’s multiple references to Robin D’Angelo, who has shown herself to be pretty problematic, but on balance they’re not a deal breaker for recommending the rest of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Slavery, Violence, War, and Colonisation

savvylit's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book thoroughly highlights and unveils several delusions that are common in the greater (white) culture of the Western world. Primary among them is the idea that white women have been unaware or innocent during some of history's worst atrocities. For instance, Hamad draws on examples from colonial America & Australia to show that white women were not only complicit in genocidal behavior but also strong proponents of it.

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Trafficking, Hate crime, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, Genocide, Gaslighting, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

jailynxpaige's review against another edition

emotional informative slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Hate crime, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Slavery, Racism, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Violence

zombiezami's review

challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

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, Lynching

owlliecat's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

A must read for all women, especially white women. It left me with an impression. One that is a reminder that as a white woman I need to not only do better, but completely reflect and rethink how I interact with women of color. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Kidnapping

Moderate: Sexism and Violence

emilia_digi's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

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 against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

anniefwrites's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

Hamad covers a lot of ground with this book--from history to representation in the media, from workplace conflict to current events. I was grateful to learn about this topic from someone who is both passionate and critical. As a reader, I think having subheadings would have helped me keep track of the topics being discussed, but in general, it's a book that I'll be processing and applying over time. Learned a lot, and lots more to learn.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Violence, and Slavery

lucilaroife's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

sunnyreads's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, Slavery, Violence, and Police brutality