Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

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

44 reviews

lottiegasp's review against another edition

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: Racism, Islamophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Genocide, Slavery, and Trafficking

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 against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

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

jessthanthree's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma

Minor: Body shaming, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, and Deportation

kryskross's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape and Islamophobia

Minor: Classism

stephmcoakley's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

alyssa_s10's review against another edition

informative fast-paced

5.0

This book was a very informative read. The authors do a great job in exposing the ways in which white feminism has historically excluded and silenced women of color. This book made me take a real note of the privilege I have as a white woman. Highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Rape and Slavery

Minor: Islamophobia

planning2read's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Slavery

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: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, and War

readwithsaray's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, and Sexual harassment

kirstenf's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Classism

Minor: Rape and Sexual violence