Disrupting White Supremacy From Within: White People On What We Need To Do

by Jennifer Harvey (Editor/Contributor), Karin A. Case (Editor/Contributor), Robin Hawley Gorsline (Editor/Contributor)

Through careful, thoughtful examination of the nature and workings of race, racism, and white supremacy, the contributors--an all-white group of theologians, ethicists, teachers, ministers, and activists--have provided a resource that will help white people do their own soul-searching, acknowledging the devastating effects of racism on people of color, and taking their own steps toward its abolishment.

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

291 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2004

About the author

Dr. Jennifer Harvey is a writer and educator long engaged in racial justice and white antiracism. Her books include the New York Times bestseller Raising White Kids and Dear White Christians. She has written for the New York Times and CNN. She also appeared on CNN’s Town Hall on Racism with Sesame Street, and has been heard on NPR’s "All Things Considered" and “It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders.” Raised in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Harvey served nearly twenty years at Drake University as both professor and Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion. She is now the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! It starts with an excellent introductory chapter that explains clearly and directly what white supremacy is, why anti-racist scholars use the term, and why the authors choose the terminology that they do. The book is meant to address white people and spur them into anti-racist action. It's written by a bunch of ethicists and Christian Liberation Theologists. While I usually shy away from Christian books, I love that this book couches anti-racist action as a moral obligation for Christians. Another fantastic thing about this book is the inclusive tone it establishes from the very beginning. White people are the cause and beneficiaries of white supremacy. And that must be acknowledged. The authors do this--but they do it in a way that makes the space for white people to take up the anti-racist cause. No one undertakes the kind of identity re-formation that anti-racist work requires as a result of someone yelling at them or making them defensive. This book keeps whites on the hook for racial injustice, while arguing for an end to white supremacy and looking for some ways that whites can contribute to it's demise.

The chapter by Karin Case on white social location as a site of resistance to white supremacy is phenomenal. She documents her journey in coming to anti-racist action, explains whiteness as a social location (among many possible social locations), and offers her suggestion for methods of resisting white supremacy from the social location of whiteness. It is a powerful chapter and one that I could imagine would be excellent to teach.

While I love the Christian slant of this book for strategic reasons, I also find it a bit unfortunate because of its exclusionary nature. Could I really assign something to students that assumes that they are Christian? Could I really teach something written to appeal to Christians, knowing as little as I do about Christianity? There's a lot of good stuff in here. But it might be a bit limited in its uses.

[My tags are a bit off...There aren't political theory chapters in this book. There are however, Ethics chapters in this book, and I am lumping them in with political theory and race theory to avoid making more shelves.]

[Christy Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that I read while in a seminary class on educating to counter oppression. I recall it being a bit slow and difficult to get through at the time for me, but it was rich in meaning and well worth the effort. I utilized it as part of a final project/presentation to others in my class.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of essays that are combine theological and on-the-ground work against white supremacy by white folks - some of the essays are more academic, some are accessible stories. It's a good read.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays by Christian theologians and ethicists. Each one made an important point in a clear and thoughtful argument. I think I would have related to it better if I had been a theologian and/or ethicist. Regardless, there were some good takeaways for me.