The book explores the ways in which white women are positioned in a power hierarchy between white men and people of color due to our racial privilege and gender marginalization What's Up with White Women examines how white women can help or hinder collective, multiracial activism Using theory, history, and personal anecdotes, the authors illuminate white women's painful experiences with sexism and our harmful racist actions Helps the reader recognize how using tools further on the continuum of development can help you promote and practice anti-racism. Govan and Smith created an identity development model for white women that can serve as a container for self-reflection and action This model will help the reader better understand stumbling blocks and how to grow to grow as an anti-racist. Example: I can see how crying in a conversation about racism in the workplace shifted everyone's focus to taking care of me rather than the people of color harmed by racism in the workplace. The model of identity development allows the reader to imagine different ways of being. When the author first learned white women's tears are harmful to people of color, she felt guilty about all of the times she had cried about racism. Understanding tears as a survival response to sexism and a tool the author was socialized to use to exert white supremacy, helped her move past the guilt and reflect on how to process the pain felt at recognizing personal racism without causing more pain to others. Rather than only feeling shame about past or present collusion with racism, white women will see their behaviors in the context of sexist and racist socialization and explore a variety of other options for how they can show up in multicultural relationships and workplaces. The book concludes with practical insights and steps for white women to deepen our cross-cultural skills and anti-racism practices in multicultural collaborations Extensive pre publication edit by Peggy McIntosh, author of The Invisible Knapsack Includes case studies and guiding questions featuring Dr. Peggy McIntosh, Dr. Robin DiAngelo and other well known women in the field of anti-racism/white privilege work. The authors have presented trainings using this content to hundreds of white women over the past eight years Smith has been an educator and project manager for over thirty-five years, serving as a classroom teacher, college instructor, caucus facilitator, trainer, and coach Smith has facilitated workshops throughout the country on the topics of anti-bias curriculum, white privilege, internalized sexism, and internalized white superiority Govan has extensive experience as an anti-racist facilitator, consultant, leadership coach, and activist Govan is co-founder of Cultures Connecting, helping countless organizations put their vision of racial equity into practice Promotion through Cultures Connecting mailing list of 20,000 subscribers Connecting Cultures consultancy offers training on issues of racial equity to hundreds of clients including Amazon and American Booksellers Association Differs from the competition Promotes the progression white women into later stages of development through connection and coaching. For example: A white woman lashes out at staff, telling them how all their decisions are racist. Instead of responding in a way to try to compete with her, silence her, or point out her racist actions, the book models now to engage in conversation about her passion for justice and hopes for the organization, then plan together how to take action. Looks specifically looks at the behavior of white women based on experiences and position in society Invites the reader to take responsibility for actions and become a better advocate for social justice as a result Other books look at broad strategies to address racism, the history of white women in the US or lump the racialization of white men and white women together. The model outlined in What's Up with White Women helps to explain white women's anti-racist development and will help people root out the causes of past racist behaviors while envisioning a different way of being that acknowledges the harm caused by sexism.

Audience

The primary audience for this book is white women who find themselves in positions of power in education, service oriented and/or non-profit communities, and regularly work with individuals and communities of color Anti-racist book groups and workshops

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