White Spaces Missing Faces: Why Women of Color Don't Trust White Women

by Catrice M. Jackson

There has NEVER been a time in history when white women have collectively stood up for or put their lives at risk for women of color; ever! Women of color have centuries of legitimate reasons to NOT trust white women; in personal relationships, on the job and online. Racism and White Feminism are paramount to why women of color do NOT attend, participate, thrive or stay in white spaces. White spaces are toxic breeding grounds for racial interpersonal violence under the guise of “feminism” and women’s empowerment. White Spaces Missing Faces boldly objects the illusion of inclusion and exposes the unrepentant truth about the Weapons of Whiteness used by white women to silence, marginalize, violate and oppress women of color. White Spaces Missing Faces unearths the covert roots of racial antipathy between white women and women of color and provides radical solutions for relationship reconciliation, reparation and restoration. White Spaces Missing Faces teaches you how to lay down your Weapons of Whiteness to stop assaulting women of color while creating, cultivating and sustaining an environment where they stay, thrive and flourish by denouncing your own racism and becoming an anti-racist Accomplice.

Genres: Anti Racist, Nonfiction, Feminism, Social Justice, Race

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Paula Berinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for every white person. You will be uncomfortable, you will squirm, and you will feel overwhelmed, but you have to hear what this author is saying, period.

[Ren Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A direct message to white women feminists, Catrice Jackson calls on white feminists to wake the fuck up and do the internal work necessary to understand how we are the white terror.

Jackson provides examples of microaggressions and macroaggressions, anecdotes reflecting the experience of black women and women of color, clear definitions of white ignorance-entitlement-power, and helpful reflective questions for white people doing the internal work to dismantle their own racism. All these elements together offer a path to creating safer environments for black women and women of color from our work places to our friend spaces.

A short book, Catrice delivers a succinct and clear call for white women to be accomplices in making the world safer for truly all women. Highly recommend to all white women.

[Georgia Gietzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for anyone suffering from “white fragility”! Catrice is bold, outspoken and confident in her belief, delivery and research that if you’re a white woman and you have said or done any of the dozens of examples she cites - you are racist (basically all white women are as we partake and benefit from a system that gives us advantage just because, well ... we are white). If you’re ready to face this reality, understand it, and want to become an “ally” of women of color, then put your big girl pants on, take a seat, and read to learn. You will have much to think about after this read. Catrice gives good guidance on “actionable” steps we can take to begin breaking down barriers that black women face. It’s an eye opening read.

[Arlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important read. A bit repetitive if you've read her earlier book Antagonists, Advocates, and Allies, but I think that's part of the point. We need to keep hearing about racism and actively opposing it every day. I quite like the action items at the end of chapters. The bullet points make action clear and doable. She does a great job describing microaggressions and instances where white people are inadvertently racist, as well as the impact felt by people of colour. Her descriptions help bring about empathy and emphasize the critical need to change now. Also important is the emphasis on inclusivity, namely dissuading exclusion and cliques. I see this all the time in feminist groups and it needs to stop. Thank you for writing this book Catrice Jackson.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Terri Lipsey Scott, Executive Director of the Dr Carter G Woodson African American Museum for hosting the "Can We Talk?" series and leading the discussion based on this book.

Some passages that spoke to me:

pages 6-7: "At some point, you have to stop saying 'we're not a very diverse company or organization, we don't know how to create diversity, we don't know how to find women of color, and or we attract women of color but they don't stay.' All of these statements are tired excuses and are simply unacceptable. Would it be okay for men to say to you that, 'we just don't have many women in our company, we don't know how to find women, and or we don't know how to attract and keep women in our company?'"

page 8: "Race matters just like gender matters. Imagine if men said, 'Well, I really don't see gender; I just SEE you as a human being.' . . . It's not acceptable for men to deny they see gender, and then say they are working to create an environment that is gender friendly, gender equal or gender free."

page 50: "Women of color know that in white spaces they have to be twice as smart, work twice as hard, will be perceived as angry, divisive or problematic when they speak up about racial discrimination, prejudice and or injustice and will often work real hard to speak up about it in a way that is non-threatening . . . .Women of color also know no matter how they phrase the racial observations, problems or concerns in white spaces that most white women will be easily offended and activate full blown white fragility resulting in them being accused as the one with the 'problem.'"

The author takes on topics of white fragility, claimed "colorblindness," micro-aggressions, white people's fear of talking about race, and how racism is toxic for everyone. She makes these topics easy to understand, giving examples and recommendations, as well as resources for further study.

[Valyncia Raphael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has good content but would benefit by being more organized. The target audience is clearly white feminist women seeking to improve their organizational climate. There were times when the writer went on a tangent though and seemed to be talking more to vent about her own experiences then to assist white women willing to learn. The book does give practical insight about the lived experiences of women of color and advice on how to stop the negative impacts that neutrality, colorblindness, and complicity of white feminism has on women of color and organizational enviroments. Moreover, the book offers tools and strategies to take stock of and overcome the debilitating fears that get in the way of transformational, anti-racist work. The book has good resources at the end, but the citations in the main text are sometimes unclear, so it is hard to follow. I would recommend reading White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo before this book so the theorectical concepts will be easier to track and digest for readers new to anti-racist work. Overall, I recommend that leaders and managers read this book a d apply it to the workplace.

[Melinda Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for white women, especially for those who have had "diversity training" and why it doesn't go nearly far enough. This is a how-to undo our racism. It's not easy. But white privilege is so entangled in our lives that it's hard to dismantle even when we know it's there because we have to give up power to do so, and we don't want to. I recommend reading her first book Antagonists, Advocates, and Allies first, and then this one. She has also released Weapons of Whiteness and I plan to read it. Her style is no-nonsense, no coddling. We need to get over ourselves and get to work.

[jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read, aimed primarily at white women leaders, feminists, and activists. Catrice Jackson believes white women are oppressors of women of color, and until they are willing to actively do the work of dismantling their own racism and become allies and accomplices of people of color, they are participating in racism and oppression of black and brown people.
At the end of the book, she provides a list of books and resources for people who wish to learn more.

[Lauren Keithley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential read for all white women. All of us (white folks) are born inherently racist, whether we act directly on our prejudices or inadvertently hurt POC through our ignorance, it’s time for us to put our weapons of whiteness down. This book is an EXCELLENT starting point for any white woman’s journey towards becoming anti racist.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for any white woman starting a journey of anti-racism. Powerful insight and reminder that if your fear of being confronted about racism is more powerful than your desire to get uncomfortable to become an ally, you are part of the problem.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another important book for white women to read, internalize, and acknowledge our role in leaving women of color out of feminism and spaces (such as work) at every turn. I appreciated Catrice M. Jackson's directness in speaking to me as a white women and providing suggestions for how to become an ally and accomplice in dismantling white supremacy.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Passionately explained introduction to systemic racism, with a moving call to arms for allies/accomplices. However, I was hoping for it to go more in depth.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and direct with a section of resources and books for further reading.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful book for white hiring managers.

[Gráinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would recommend to people starting out on their journey of becoming actively anti-racist. It's an accessible & digestible read, but nothing new for those further along on the journey.

[Célia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any woman organisation and feminist spaces!

[Stephanie Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author is unflinchingly honest and passionate about her topic, and this book is a useful resource for White women wanting to hear some of the things Black women say when we're not in the room, assess our progress toward becoming antiracist, and talk about how to ally with Black women in the struggle for racial justice. However, there's a great deal of repetition, and the book would have benefited from additional editing. (2.5 stars)

[Polly Callahan]

recommended by Cherish Albert Greene County School board candidate and member of RISE Waynesboro;
read to Chapter 2.
I've read other books that go way more in depth.
I prefer deeper scholarship and details.