The Heart of Whiteness: Confronting Race, Racism, and White Privilege

by Robert Jensen

An honest look at racism in the United States, and the liberal platitudes that attempt to conceal it. This book offers an honest and rigorous exploration of what Jensen refers to as the depraved nature of whiteness in the United States. Mixing personal experience with data and theory, Jensen faces down the difficult realities of race, racism, and white privilege. He argues that any system that denies non-white people their full humanity also keeps white people from fully accessing their own. The Heart of Whiteness is both a cautionary tale for those who believe that they have transcended racism, and also an expression of the hope for genuine transcendence. "Very few white writers have been able to point out the pathological nature of white privilege and supremacy with the eloquence of Robert Jensen. In The Heart of Whiteness , Jensen demonstrates not only immense wisdom on the issue of race, but does so in the kind of direct and accessible fashion that separates him from virtually any other academic scholar, or journalist, writing on these subjects today."— Tim Wise , author of Dear White America "With radical honesty, hard facts, and an abundance of insight and compassion, Robert Jensen lays out strategies for recognizing and dismantling white privilege– and helping others to do the same. This text is more than just important; it's useful. Jensen demonstrates again that he is a leading voice in the American quest for justice."— Adam Mansbach , author of Angry Black White Boy and Go the F***to Sleep "Jensen's spotlight on the gaps separating the American promise of liberty and justice from the reality is accessible, powerful and moving. In short, it is a terrific piece of anti-racist writing."— Eleanor Bader , The Brooklyn Rail

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Social Justice, History, Sociology, Anti Racist, Education

124 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Robert Jensen is an emeritus professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin. He lives in northern New Mexico with his wife, Eliza Gilkyson, a two-time Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter.

Reviews

[Nomy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is a short, quick read and is written in accessible language. he doesn't spend a lot of time trying to prove how smart he is, or berating himself, which i appreciate. i wish he didn't have to spend the first half of the book proving that racism exists, because the last half, when he really talks about his experiences of identifying and grappling with the way racism and white privilege plays out in his life, i found to be really useful. i have to say i felt uncomfortable with his choice to use the term "non-white people" instead of "people of color." i kept thinking about how it erases the experiences of mixed race people who are not "non-white" or "white." plus it is not the language that has been self-chosen so that just seems weird. why put whiteness at the center? he explains why - to hold whiteness accountable or something like that - but it just didn't hold together for me. most of all i like the way he talks about the emotions of whiteness - guilt, fear, and anger. i thought his writing was emotionally honest and accountable, and realistic about the fact that he doesn't know the answers but the work has to be done.

some quotes i like:

"I propose that we white people admit that we are mostly all fools within a white-supremacist society. It's crucial that we be able to laugh at ourselves. By that I don't mean laugh about the issue; there is nothing funny about white supremacy, and the struggle for racial justice is not a joke. But we are often fools.... What if we just acknowledged that? I am often a fool. I am a white person living in a white-supremacist society who still sometimes feels racist feelings in his body, thinks racist thoughts in his head, and acts in subtle (and on occasion, not-so-subtle) racist ways in the world. I struggle. I make mistakes. I try to find ways to be accountable. I don't want to be congratulated for it. I'm not looking for absolution." (pg 72)

"One general principle can help guide us in these endeavors: As we struggle with how to confront these systems of power and privilege, we should go toward that which most frightens us. This is especially true for us white people trying to work against white supremacy. When we are dealing with issues of oppression, we are most likely to make progress when we face the things that we wish we did not have to face. In the words of the late poet and activist Audre Lorde, who wrote so clearly and fiercely about both the barriers that difference creates and the possibility of transcending those differences: 'I urge each one of us here to reach down into that deep place of knowledge inside herself and touch that terror and loathing of any difference that lives there. See whose face it wears.'
"The moments when I have gotten close to touching that terror are both frightening and exhilarating. They wash me clean and, at the same time, leave permanent scars. I sometimes rush toward those moments and other times do not have the strength to get too close. I am afraid of failing, of being seen and seen-through. I remain terrified, and yet I continue to seek out that terror as often as I can bear it, for one simple reason: Those are the moments in my life when I come closest to tasting real freedom." (pg 87)

[Bill Kyzner · Rating 1 out of 5]

A horrible book that I was forced to read for a multi-cultralism class. I would not recommenf this book to anyone unless it was the author's mother.

[enyanyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is possible to not be racist (in the individual sense of not perpetrating overtly racist acts) and yet at the same time fail to be anti-racist (in the political sense of resisting a racist system). Being not-racist is not enough.

I do not think I am the target audience of this book, but I still enjoyed reading it! The Heart of Whiteness is a discussion starter on race, racism and white privilege. It was not a long book (less than 100 pages) but still took me a few days to go through because every now and again I would put it down to just think about the points he raises.
Robert Jensen is brutally honest with himself and that a lot of the time he is confronting his own deep-rooted racism. He is quite observant in his commentary of himself and American society in general. I found the chapter on guilt, fear and anger particularly eye-opening.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding. Jensen challenges every white person in the U.S. to acknowledge the deep, pervasive whiteness/white privilege in this country. White people have unearned power and privilege and need to begin the process of stripping themselves of it. Yes.
It rules every part of our culture/society/politics/you name it. If one has any doubts about the power of whiteness is the U.S., he provides ample examples of how it developed and is ingrained in everything and everyone who lives in the U.S. He makes it clear that white people are the problem with racism. Only white people can change that. The 'white man's burden" is himself or herself.

Next he challenges each white reader/citizen to find the thing about racism that terrifies them the most and begin to take action to dismantle it. It's a powerful and hard to avoid message that most white people have never heard.

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book goes on my essentials list. When my efforts or the efforts of any other person of color fail (due in no part to lack of
Ability or effort on our parts), Jensen may succeed. With this book, Jensen takes up and defines the "White person's
burden", beginning from a place built on James Baldwin's question "How does it feel to be a problem?"

Jensen calls in white people to educate, reflect, and examine harsh truths of racism and white supremacist constructs in the USA. He presents what that means and how even those who think they have it all figured out really don't.

I and others are often asked (or admonished) by white people "How much more
do I need to do? When will what I do be enough?" Jensen assertively lays forth the words many have been saying for ages: the work is ongoing. He wrestles with shame, anger, guilt, and explains what can be
constructive about each and what is not.

No laying down of guilt trips, no shaming. He doesn't soften blows, but does not beat up the reader. Jensen's book is a call to self and a call to action which references several prominent Black writers in the process, urging the white reader to truly listen as they may not have before (even when they thought they were).

He avoids the abrasiveness of Tim Wise, speaking with the underlying tone of "I'm working on this stuff, too. It's tough at times, but it's important and items work we as white people MUST do." Jensen has written a "come to Jesus" talk, an intervention for even the most liberal and well-meaning.

[kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

a book on racism and white privilege, written by a white guy. he’s totally ruthless with himself in this short but powerful book. clear and uncompromising. made me want to open my skull and scrape out the shit. recommended especially for anyone who’s white.

[Jinsung · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the reasons why reading this book was easier than I expected, I think, was because of its narrative. Robert Jensen does not merely try to teach a lesson in this book but tells a story. He starts this book with his own narrative, like growing up in white supremacist society in North Dakota. The authors' vulnerability often breaks down the barriers between readers and authors because it humbles the author especially when the author is a well-known professor like Robert Jensen.

Chapter after chapter, Jensens' humility develops in authoritative and intellectual way as the narratives are backed by actual statistics and historical evidence. Those statistics not only backs up the narrative but also shocks the audience. Jensens' insight surpasses normality in racism discussion.

After storming through shameful cultural and historical truth on white supremacy. He deals with emotions as well. It is the highlight of this book. That's the real talk. The last three chapters are the true vulnerability of a white person who is a professor. When you can imagine how many white people would be against his idea and revelation, then you know that it is real talk.

In the introduction, he quotes Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. "Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams." He is also saying at the end of chapter 'Playing the fool' that 'one often hears the question: "Do you have to politicize everything?" the answer, of course, is yes.'

This book is not to sympathize with non-white people suffering from racism but to enlighten white people to see through themselves and ask real questions. In the process of this self-reflection, I, as an Asian who's living in a white supremacist society, being acknowledged and valued without me having to explain anything about how bad racism is. It was such a weird experience.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard of Robert Jensen from a few other authors I read this year, most notably Bell Hooks. So when I stumbled in Half Price and found this book I had to pick it up. I read it in two sittings and it is clear, thoughtful, and provoking. Jensen is an intelligent critic and academic who cares about the world and his work. I enjoyed this introduction to Jensen and the plethora of ideas contained within. Though far from perfect the book really is a catalyst to survey some larger issues with Whiteness and White Supremacy that still affects everyone in America.

Using personal experience Jensen creates a disarming dialogue with his readers about the political and cultural landscape of race. The book is short and should definitely be read.

[Brandon Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not expecting such a concise, honest, and practical analysis of whiteness (although Jensen did promise that in the opening). We can be sad, but we shouldn't feel guilty if it's causing us to remain stagnant. We should be angry, but we shouldn't let our anger consume us. We should be introspective, but self-help and growth does nothing to actually dismantle white supremacy. The reversal of Du Bois' "black people are the problem" question to "white people are the problem" is especially relevant in a supremacist culture that continually blames political tension on the oppressed.

The re-framing of sociological terms to focus on power is very provocative: a political/structural lens versus an individual/cultural. I disagree that it should be one or the other. He also notes that many conversations about race, gender, sexuality, ect are at the expense of minorities but seems content in not softening the blow. His methodologies are helpful in progressive white circles, but come off as bearing too much burden, or plain dismissive. In combating power, those oppressed by systemic injustice should still get the most say (which he claims, but mostly ignores in writing/discussion).

Practically, this book tells white people (me) to get involved in political activism. Jensen identifies a larger issue with white moderates/progressives that have graduated from ignorance in the pursuit of ethical comfort to perpetual self-actualization in the pursuit of... you guessed it, ethical comfort. Privileged people want to live comfortably in the most ethical way possible, and it remains a pitfall even after you've begun acknowledging said privilege.

[Zefyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy should be getting recommended for quick reads about whiteness instead of Tim Wise.

Public education is not racist because each day a bunch of overtly racist white people come to work and deliberately try and maintain a racist school system. It is the product of many decisions over many years, some of them no doubt made by people of conscience who thought of themselves as anti-racist, but who maintain an institutional structure that creates conditions that support white supremacy.

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Guilt over slavery…is nonsensical. Guilt implies responsibility, and I cannot be responsible for something that existed before I was born. Much the same can be said of racism as a system. It predates my birth and is maintained by forces that I cannot change by action on my own. I don't feel guilty about the existence of racism as a historical system. So why is such guilt so common among white people? I think many white people stay stuck in that sense of guilt about being white for two reasons. First, if one keeps the focus on that abstract sense of guilt, one rarely gets to the appropriate guilt for specific racist actions; it's a convenient way to avoid accountability. Second, such guilt is a way for white people to avoid taking action. If one feels guilty, it is easy to feel paralyzed, which makes it easy not to act. A white person can say, "Look how guilty I feel about racism and white privilege. I feel so bad it immobilizes me." From that position, just talking about race and racism becomes too overwhelming, and people often use their own psychological angst to escape political responsibility.

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[After September 11, 2001] …George W. Bush kept repeating "Islam is a religion of peoce," reminding Americans that as we march off on wars of domination we should respect the religion of the people we are killing…It is an improvement when an insular people become curious about something outside their own experience. But when politicians can so easily invoke diversity and multiculturalism in the service of the empire, something has gone dangerously off the rails. It is strange enough when an antifeminist administration can make the claim that its invasion of Afghanistan was motivated in part by a feminist desire to free the women of that country, but even stranger when some segments of the feminist movement celebrated the invasion and, hence, participated in the celebration of militarism. When feminism can be a cover for a war of empire, we're in trouble.

[James Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert is a great writer, indeed and I respect the fact that he is always ready to stir the pot on principle. First off, before reading this book one needs to be grounded in Theodore Allen's scholarship on whiteness. Read "The Invention of the White Race," (Volumes I and II) before you read this book. There are a lot of differences between the two approaches, but more than enough in common. Allen basically explains how white and black workers were split off from each other as an elite control strategy. Therefore, the original White Skin Privilege idea was pretty much rooted in Marxist materialism. Allen and his cohorts explained WSP to get rid of white supremacy therefore making class struggle in the US a possibility.

I'm not arguing that writers like Jensen are wrong to try to extend the WSP debate into other areas of life. However, without grounding from the source, the anchor in class politics some of their work comes up a little short. Anti-racist politics are always strengthened by an understanding of class, and vice-versa.

However, Jenson does a great job at challenging individual white folks to look at their situation critically. The book could have been a little longer, weaving in class, and lost none of the anti-racist points at all.

[Sage Αναστασία · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot even begin to describe how disappointing this book was. This book is less of an informative read about white supremacy and more of a look at the author's own personal journey grappling with racism, which is shallow at best and harmful at worst. I applaud White folks who actually put in the time and effort to confront racism publically (as all of us White folks should). However, Jensen has not done nearly enough work in unraveling White supremacy to write a book about it. This book is essentially written by an oblivious White man for oblivious White men to make them feel "woke." The Heart of Whiteness was definitely not worth my time.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book was written in 2005, our country has not made a lot of progress in erasing racism. This book is written from the point of view of a white man who is a college professor and has tried to change his own inherent racist ideas. He was very open about the work he has done and how he has noticed his own issues. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to delve into the insidious nature of white supremacy.

[Erik Ostrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good, short primer on what white people can and should do about living in a white supremacist society. The word that will stick with me is "uncomfortable." Twelve years later you might have picked up a lot of the same concepts in blog posts, but maybe not, I don't know, depends on what blogs you read.

[Jean G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried when I read this book. It was an eye-opening book. I am not white but I grew up in a rich white suburb. The author is a former professor of mine and I got to hear him speak on another subject; I can't wait to get more information on this topic! It's a must read!

[BellasCreativeLife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are white and American, this book should make you uncomfortable. Your life is based on White Privilege - created by past history, imbedded beliefs, cultural racism, political and economic systems, domestic and foreign policy, and ignorance. This book is written to help you hold up a mirror and take a close look at yourself, your life, and what unfair advantages you have been given. It isn't that you haven't worked hard to create your career, family, social situation, etc. - it is the "leg up" you were given to start off with and how being white continues to help you to maintain and advance at the expense of others. As Jensen says, "Look in the mirror honestly and concede that we live in an unjust society and have no right to some of what we have." Painful but true. This books helps to strip away many illusions so that you can look at yourself more clearly, to figure out what you need to do, individually and politically, to address a fundamental flaw in society. A very short book with a very big message.

[Kelly Casteel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Less than 100 pages, fast read, accessible language. Eye opening, honest, and important. I wish all my white family and friends would set aside one day to read this, and then have a conversation with me about what they thought.

One wish I have for the book itself: that the author would update us on some of his perspectives in light of Obama and Trump presidencies. (It was published in 2005.)

[John Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Jensen reflects on his experiences, the best parts of his writing are better expressed in Sylvia Wynter, Franz Fannon, W. E. B. DuBois, and Edward Said. Confessional writing might be fine, but overall critical thought is not greatly advanced by this book. A short 97 pages, fine bibliography and fine reading recommendations at the end.

[Ada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slim volume that makes for a quick read about white privilege and white fragility. Jensen is not afraid to raise the kind of questions that make white people squirm and he shares his missteps in his own journey to be a better ally and activist.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5/5

In a short 100 pages, Jensen successfully summarizes the past, present, and future of racism within the United States. It was especially interesting reading about his failures and reflecting on how I might have committed the same mistakes.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jensen frequently calls upon his own lapses and errors to aid white readers in interrogating their own reactions to racism, white supremacy and white privilege. This is very supportive in my own personal goal of recognizing and confronting those systems in myself.

[Richard W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good critical look at whiteness, and it's deforming impact on white people in particular.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not an easy read. It's never easy to confront what may be wrong with our thinking. There was so much truth here, and it hit upon conversations and situations that were all to familiar.

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you believe that racism exists, start reading this book on page 45.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars most likely. Quite good, and unfortunately for it ahead of its "time." Unfortunate for all of us, really. Took multiple pages of notes. Will be recommending it to others.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent treatise examining white American self-view.

[Kathryn R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a must read for every white person! White privilege is a real thing; understanding what that means enlightens and educates.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Jensen is a particularly eloquent writer. The book is very short, you can finish it under three hours.

The key criticism, and maybe unjustified, to a seasoned reader on the topic of race and racism, the book was not especially memorable in its findings (i.e., numerous stats suggesting the persistent white supremacy in the United States), although I can see how it would have had a huge impact on people's racial consciousness in the early 1990s.

I particularly liked the author's use of non-white instead of people-of-color, as it re-focuses the role that white people had in crafting the identities of POC in the first place. The author goes into some detail into the construction of whiteness that many courses on racism at full-fledged Universities neglect to mention.

It did not occur to me that whites subconsciously evaluated themselves more valuable in the setting that Robert Jensen has mentioned towards the end of the book (with the black speaker). Becoming aware of it requires deep self-reflection and introspection.

However, I was left wondering just how white men such as Robert Jensen was able to become "woke". There was nothing remarkable in his background. Could it have been his awareness of anti-Native discrimination in the Dakotas? I am left wondering, what triggered it? The book does not go into detail.

All in all, I would heavily recommend this book as a "starter book".

[Lee Bullitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A one day read.

This look into the white supremacist attitude of America is not only examined but clearly felt by the author (who is a white man himself). And him being white, and not some afro-centric wanna be, makes a grand difference in how the message is delivered and how it will ultimately effect the reader. His words are not more true because he is white, I would never say that, but because he means them and means to perpetually do something about it. This is not a book by a white person that eagerly wants you to believe that he is an anti-racist or that he has never had a racist thought in his life, I enjoy and recommend this book de to it's honesty and accuracy. This is important for people of every descent to read but VERY important for whites to read. I think this will help them all become either MORE true with themselves or more self diverting.

If you are not on the side that is strictly against the white supremacist mindset,
but instead say you "don't care about race"
hen you are on the side of White supremacy. There is no grey area.

And Robert Jensen understand that fact.